Sport: Swimming
Achievements: Youth EC medalist, adult and youth Finnish record holder
Target: to be the best possible version of myself :)
Motto: Towards the next adversity ;)
Surprising skill: O is good at walking on his hands.
Hometown and club: Kauniainen, Simmis Grani
Which competition suit do you swim in (if swimming) and why: Speedo Pure Valor suits me best! I swim with an open back for some, and others with a closed back. In open water races, I use Arena's open water race.
How did you find the sport, what else did you do? What kind of career have you had?
I am the so-called born to swim, and I've been swimming with my family since I was little. When I was little, I did a lot of other things, like the circus and gymnastics, and I read a lot. I started in the swimming club when I was 8 years old. My development has been very steady from the very beginning, and I hope it will continue like that.
What do you like most about your sport, what do you like least?
In my opinion, the best thing about swimming is competing in international competitions. There is always a really good feeling there, which gives you new enthusiasm to continue training towards the international top. I also like basic training, but if I have to say something negative, I don't like being sick during the season, because it really affects training and competition results.
Who inspires you, or has served as your role model and why?
I like to watch swimming on YouTube, and watching international competitions has always been a sacred moment in our family. I've always had a lot of role models, let's mention Gregorio Paltrinieri for example. He works out a lot and has been swimming for a really long time. I also like her positive attitude towards swimming. On the weekends, we also watch the Italian competitions quite often, because there are high level competitions very often, and interviews are always shown on the TV, which makes watching more interesting.
How do you train, how much in time and how?
Alone, a lot and hard.
Where do you get the motivation to train on the days when you don't feel like it, if there are such days?
I don't have days like that.
Who has influenced your career and the fact that you compete the most?
I myself.
What do you think is most important for you to achieve your goals?
Faith, hope and training.
What is the best thing sports has taught you?
You don't miss out on anything by playing sports. Swimming has given me great experiences that I wouldn't trade for anything. (And I've learned that boys are better looking abroad ;)
Your training tips for a beginner swimmer?
Anyone can become good if they want it enough.
What equipment do you use for training and why?
A swimsuit, glasses, cap and towel are always included. The board and paddles are also included in every workout, I always use other equipment depending on the workout.
Write an example of your favorite workout and why this one?
In the structure of our training, there is always an initial run and some warm-up series. We always try to swim as many different series as possible, but here is one series as an example:
3x(50 sc + 100 sc/sun + 150 sc/sun/ru + 200 sc + 3x100 sc)
Rounds tightening 1-3, and hundreds of butterfly also tightening 1-3. This series runs as a "pancake series" in our training, and it's really much worse on a long track than on a short one :)
Another fairly common one that I swim during the season is swimming 5000m straight in time.
Tell me a funny incident from your career?
The best coincidences in my career are all the encounters I've experienced during trips abroad, at camps and competitions. For example, last spring we were at a camp in Tenerife, so Sarah Sjöström's coach asked me to train with them, and I trained with Sarah a few times.
I would say to all young swimmers that at competitions or camps abroad, you should always try to get to know foreign swimmers, because at least for me, those moments have remained in my mind as the best memories <3
