On the knuckles for Greenland – Inuuteq Josefsen chases medals and new dreams

For the third time, the young athlete, Inuuteq Josefsen, is participating in the Arctic Winter Games, where he represents Greenland in the traditional Arctic sports – and at this year’s Games, too, metal has been put around his neck.

Record jumper on all fours

This year, Inuuteq Josefsen is competing in seven disciplines: One- and Two-Foot High Kick, Alaskan High Kick, Knuckle Hop, One-Hand Reach, Triple Jump and Head Pull. But if he himself has to point to his strongest discipline, the answer is clear.

– I would say that I am the best at Knuckle Hop – probably because I am strong and stubborn, Inuuteq says with a laugh.

In Knuckle Hop, Inuuteq moves powerfully forward on all fours, stiff as a board, bouncing on his knuckles. The discipline requires enormous strength in the arms and shoulders – and not least a considerable pain threshold – as the participants try to jump as far as possible without stopping. Inuuteq has previously set the Greenlandic record in the discipline, and when he performs his long jumps, you can almost feel the raw power and concentration that drives him forward. Every movement testifies to his strength, endurance and stubbornness – qualities that have made him one of Greenland’s most notable Arctic Sports athletes.

From taekwondo to Arctic sports

The journey into Arctic Sports began as a teenager and has since developed into a passion that has shaped his everyday life.

– It was my cousin who first took me to Arctic Sports in 2019. Back then, I only practiced taekwondo, and he practiced Arctic Sports. Today, it is the other way around, says Inuuteq, who now focuses exclusively on Arctic Sports.

Since his first training, the traditional Arctic sport has taken on a very special place in his life. Every exercise, every jump and every competition is not only about physics, but also about discipline, concentration and will. It is a sport where strength and technique go hand in hand, but where the community and culture behind the sport are at least as important.

– It is like being among family – both when we train and when we compete. We always help each other, and there is a fantastic atmosphere in the sport, he says.

That feeling of togetherness and support only gets stronger when Inuuteq Josefsen participates in the Arctic Winter Games.

“I always look forward to meeting the participants from the other countries. There is room for both togetherness and competition, precisely because it is such a unique sport that is tied to a common culture,” he explains.

Arctic Sports has become more than just a form of competition for him. It is a place where tradition, culture and personal development meet, and where he both challenges himself and strengthens ties with other athletes – something he values ​​as highly as medals and records.

Pride in Qaqortoq

When Inuuteq Josefsen takes to the floor for competitions, he carries more than just his own name.

“I am proud every time I compete and represent Greenland – and not least my city Qaqortoq,” he says, straightening his back.

He previously lived in Nuuk for five years in connection with high school and Business School, where he also trained Arctic Sports among other passionate athletes. Today, Inuuteq Josefsen himself tries to be a role model and a pioneer for the living conditions of sports in Qaqortoq.

For several years, the city has lacked organized Arctic Sports. After corona, the activities came to a standstill, and for about five years, children and young people have not had the opportunity to practice the sport – until Inuuteq took the initiative to change that.

– For far too long, there has been no opportunity to practice Arctic Sports in Qaqortoq. So I have started it up again from scratch as a coach, he proudly says.

With many followers on TikTok and YouTube, he also uses social media to capture the interest of the younger generation and showcase the sport.

– I want to pass the sport on to the children. I don't want it to disappear in Qaqortoq, says Inuuteq Josefsen with seriousness in his voice, so that there is no doubt that here is a young man with a mission.

Fortunately, the initiative is starting to bear fruit. More and more people are showing up for the training sessions, and most recently 14 children were gathered in the hall – children who are also following Inuuteq's performances at the Arctic Winter Games from home.

– They follow him on YouTube, and that is a great motivation, he says.

A dream of flying

When Inuuteq Josefsen is not training or competing, he spends his time working as a substitute teacher in a primary school and studying English at B level – all steps that bring him closer to his big dream.

– I dream of becoming a pilot. I just need my grade in English at B level to be able to apply, he says purposefully, with a glint of ambition and determination in his eyes.

The dream of soaring high, both above the floor in High Kick and through the clouds in an airplane, is no coincidence. His great idol, Tony Fisker, has been a constant inspiration.

– He is a legend in Arctic Sport, and he is a pilot, says Inuuteq Josefsen enthusiastically.

For Inuuteq, sports and dreams are closely linked. Every knuckle-tapping, every jump and every training session is more than physical exercise – it is training in will, focus and endurance. These are the same qualities that will take him into the air when he one day sits in the cockpit. Until then, he will continue to knuckle-tapping towards new medals and records. Every achievement, every training session and every smile from the children he inspires in Qaqortoq reminds him that will, determination and passion can lift you higher than you ever thought possible – both on the floor and in the air.