by Anishametra Saravanan

Dauntless; to show fearlessness and determination in pursuing a goal. 

If there’s one word that can be used to describe YTL Construction’s Senior Interior Designer, Nur Diyana Binti Samsudin, it would be dauntless. Having participated in this year’s Fjällräven Classic for two weeks, she was one of over 2,000 participants from all over the world that braved the treacherous 110km trail. With only 3 to 7 days to complete the trail, Diyana shares her trekking experience in the pristine environment of the Scandinavian wilderness while overcoming the obstacles that lay before her. 

Having trekked since her early days of employment in 2015, Diyana has hiked many trails, both locally and internationally. She fondly recalls joining her first Fjällräven event in Gunung Stong, Kelantan. Since then, she has participated in both the Fjällräven Classic, Hong Kong and Fjällräven Discovery, which is held in Southeast Asia. Despite her list of accomplishments in trekking, don’t let her hiking background fool you. She is a woman with many more athletic talents.  

Diyana says point blank, ‘I did Zumba every day for 3 months.’ She credits her Zumba classes for helping her build her stamina and endurance needed for the long and perilous trail. She also dives on occasion.  

When asked about the challenges faced, Diyana talked about the terrible weather they had unfortunately experienced on their very first day of trekking. While it was known they needed to cover one checkpoint a day, the rough winds that slowed down their trekking momentum meant they needed to cover an additional checkpoint to make up for the lost time. In the 17 °C winds, slowing down or stopping would only make them suffer in the cold. In addition to the bone-chilling gust of winds pushing them forward, they needed to keep their eyes peeled on the trail ahead as the sharp rocks below them were uneven. One wrong step would result in a disastrous foot injury.  

In spite of the issues faced, she carried on with great strength and discipline as she lugged her backpack which weighed up to 15kg filled with her trekking and camping equipment. She was joined alongside 7 Malaysian participants who eventually got separated by the first day of the trail. ‘You can’t afford to stick together when everyone treks with a different pace.’ she said. 

Despite her rigorous physical training, she mentioned how it’s much more than that. ‘Even if you train hard and you’re in the best physical shape, you must be strong both mentally and physically to participate in an event like this. You will be tested in every way and team support plays a crucial role when you’re out in the unknown. These trails push you to your limits and you have to be level-headed. The lack of communication and fatigue has been known to even break committed relationships,’ she said. 

As someone who loves to challenge herself, her second Fjällräven Classic was just a stepping stone and she looks forward to gaining new experiences.  You may be wondering, what’s next on her bucket list? 

Diyana hopes to attend her third Fjällräven Classic next year in Korea or the UK. ‘When I’m in the outdoors, I learn a lot new things about myself and my love for nature continues to grow stronger. Fjällräven Classic is definitely something I look forward to. Who knows, we may even have another person from our YTL family join me next year.’  

So, are you up for the challenge?