Follow Tarjei Bø as he arrives in Finnmark for the very first time to meet his very own racing reindeer. There are six episodes in total.

Here is a little taste.

Episode 1 Kautokeino

Tarjei is well into his latest winter season. He considers the trip to Finnmark to be a fantastic start to his training for all the races he will be taking part in. 

“I have never been to Finnmark, but thanks to my good partners at Finnmark Rein I have become increasingly interested in learning more about this fantastic part of Norway, the people who live there and not least the reindeer themselves,” says Tarjei.

In this episode he flies north to Alta, and driving from the airport towards Kautokeino he experiences an enormous reindeer herd crossing the road right in front of his car.

“It made me feel very lucky to have experienced something very special already, but I was to get much closer to the animals than that,” says Tarjei.

After a two-hour drive he arrives at the hotel and is served a delicious reindeer dinner before getting some rest in anticipation of a new day with a very special programme.

Episode 2 Reindeer herding

Today, Tarjei dresses up warm to go on a long day’s snowmobile trip across the Finnmarksvidda to look for reindeer.

“We were met by the Finnmark Rein team led by Are, Johan and Mikkel. For me it is more than enough fun just to be allowed to ride a snowmobile! But I also knew that we were going to be meeting a large herd of reindeer and that I was about to learn a lot.”

Getting very close to reindeer in their natural habitat is a very special experience. This was also Tarjei’s chance to see with his own eyes what his partners at Finnmark Rein are doing on a daily basis.

“Reindeer herding is one of the world’s most sustainable ways of producing food. The reindeer are roaming free across vast areas all year long while eating nutritious foods like lichen, mushrooms and even seaweed. It is no wonder the meat tastes so great,” says Tarjei.

After returning from the vidda, Tarjei and the Finnmark Rein team meet some reindeer herders who are about to gather a large herd in order to move them to a better grazing area. This gives him the chance to learn more about life as a reindeer owner and about how reindeer live on the vidda. 

Episode 3 The chosen one

What happens when two top athletes meet in a tiny enclosure? In this episode you get to see what happened when Tarjei met his own racing reindeer for the very first time.

“Even though I am competitive I was a little bit nervous and apprehensive about meeting the reindeer I would be competing with,” says Tarjei.

The Reindeer, who was given the name Lynet MacBø, was a gift from Team Nils-Jøran and Finnmark Rein. 

“Team Nils-Jøran is the toughest reindeer racing team in Finnmark, so I was never worried I would not get a very fast reindeer.”

Not all reindeer can become racers. They are selected because of there build and their attitude. And they do not roam across the vidda together with all of the other reindeer. 

“Racing reindeer live a bit like a top athlete does, together with other racers, while they train all their skills in order to be the fastest on snow. I felt we were a little bit similar,” says Tarjei.

Episode 4 The top athlete 

In this episode we learn more about the top athlete Tarjei Bø, and how he became as good as he is today. What happened between his first day on skis as a little boy in the village of Markane in Stryn until he claimed his first individual World Championship gold medal in 2011?

“I was 15 when I decided to try to become as good as absolutely possible,” says Tarjei.

Yet what he liked the most was to play football with his friends, and it took some time before biathlon took over. 

“I realised I had quite a big potential in biathlon because I have always been very stubborn and strong-willed, so I have always put a lot into reaching the very top.”

Tarjei also talks about his relationship to food and nutrition, and how he has become increasingly aware of the importance of eating well and choosing the right things – both for people who train as much as him and for everyone else.

Episode 5 The debut

It is the big day! Tarjei Bø is fairly nervous as he prepares to compete with his racing reindeer Lynet MacBø.

“But I got some really good advice from my competitor and expert Jon Inge, so as long as he was telling the truth I knew I would probably survive,” says Tarjei.

Reindeer racing is no joke, and competitors often reach 60 km/h. All while wearing thin cross country skis!

“You are full of adrenalin as the reindeer kicks snow in your face, making it feel like you’re in a cloud of smoke.”

Episode 6 Looking back

After some fantastic days in Finnmark, Tarjei Bø looks back on his experiences among reindeer herders, reindeer and spectacular Finnmark nature.

“Everyone I met were extremely accommodating. They are very engaged with their animals and their local community, and always focused on making sure we visitors have a good time,” says Tarjei.

Now he is focusing on the 2021-2022 winter season, while his racing reindeer, Lynet MacBø, is training for his Norwegian championship races in February.

“I recommend everyone to visit Finnmark and also to follow Lynet MacBø through the winter. I will be providing a few more updates on how things go when he competes in 2022.”