Autumn has come to Arvidsjaur.

The leaves have turned yellow and it is seven degrees in the air.

The conscripts in the hunter battalion train security guards on a training field.

And one of the supervisors is the double skating world champion Nils van der Poel.

He is a part-time employee of the defense for three weeks and combines his training sessions with work as an instructor.

He is the first to have the opportunity to use facilities and resources within the framework of the new cooperation between SOK and the Armed Forces, while at the same time contributing to the training of conscripts.

Awakens old memories

- It's fun to be back here.

It evokes old memories, he says accompanied by the sound of the shooting range nearby.

In 2018–2019, he himself did eleven months of military service in Arvidsjaur, 150 km west of Luleå.

And he has since talked about the importance it has had for his success as an athlete.

- I have learned to deliver at the top under high pressure.

What I like about the military way of thinking is that you have to solve a task under any circumstances.

Hunger, thirst and sleep do not matter, it is about delivering.

In addition to being a supervisor at various exercises, he also lectures.

He talks about his time at the battalion and how he brought lessons to his sport.

"Extremely motivating"

- It has been extremely cool to hear his story about how this education has made him such a successful athlete.

It was extremely motivating, says Albin Boquist, one of the conscripts, himself a hockey player in Gislaved.

Following the world record in Heerenveen in February this year, van der Poel was awarded a diploma by Army Chief Karl Engelbrektson.

When they spoke, van der Poel heard about the new collaboration with SOK.

"He took me in order"

- Then I said that if I can help, I will gladly do it.

And he took me at his word.

It's fun, says van der Poel.

- It is Nils who has chosen us.

We can only say "thank you very much".

He is a brilliant ambassador for the Armed Forces and ultimately also for our unit, says Morgan Gustavsson, Chief of Staff at Norrland's Dragon Regiment K4.

And Nils van der Poel does not mind becoming a "poster name" for the defense for a while.

- I have spent eleven months of my life strengthening Sweden's defense.

Periodically, it has been tough.

But if I can now contribute further by talking a lot about what it has given me then it feels like it makes even more sense to the months when I have been hungry, cold and tired, he says.

More athletes and women

In the future, it may be that more elite athletes and women can come to Arvidsjaur or other associations in a similar way.

- We'll see where this goes.

The hope is that we will get a basic template that we can continue with together with SOK and slowly but surely develop the areas that SOK and we have in common, says Morgan Gustavsson.

Nils van der Poel thrives in Arvidsjaur and hopes that he can come back again, but in that case it will only be after the Olympics in Beijing in February next year.