Finding Purpose

KAJ HAMMARGREN is an athlete who turned his life around from a very dark place in his twenties to serving others and bringing joy, all through a spiritual awakening and the practice of meditation. His story is an inspiring one!

I shouldn't be able to run, not even walk, and especially not pole vault. In fact, I shouldn't be alive at all.

I was born in Copenhagen in 1964 and I was good at sport. I became one of the biggest talents in Denmark in the pole vault. But I also struggled with alcohol, and those two things didn't match at all. Alcohol became my master for some years, and it almost ended my life in a traffic accident at the age of 27. I wanted to die.

But then I had a spiritual awakening, and meditation became central to my life. I have practiced Heartfulness meditation for more than 20 years.

At the age of 51, I was asked to start jumping again, just for fun, at my old club. That's eight years ago. The first few years I had fun, competing for the club with all my old friends. But last year, my weight was more than 100 kg and I decided to lose 15 kgs, start training two to three times a week, and participate in the world championships 2023 in Gothenburg. I also decided to have surgery on my right knee, so I could jump without pain.