I had a dream. A dream to become one of the best orienteers
in the world. It was probably born some time after we had won relay gold in
JWOC with Hanna and Heli, a long time ago. It grew stronger after podium places
in Nordic Meetings and Euromeeting some years later. Then I was injured in a
car accident and my dream died for a while but, against all odds, I came back after a few years. In 2004 I surprised everyone and made it to WOC for the first time
and suddenly the dream got some flesh on the bones and became a bit more
realistic. After that I wasn’t just trying to get to the WOC team, I
also wanted to succeed there.
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| WOC 2004, Sweden |
The following year I managed to get to a level where I
started to dream about podium places after an 8th place on the long
distance in NOC (Nordic Orienteering Championships) and some good results
in the World Cup. We also managed to win a World Cup relay with Anni-Maija and Minna. However, in WOC 2005 I faced a new kind of challenge and pressure
after I had finished 2nd in the qualification and got to start to the
middle distance final among the last 6 starters. Suddenly a podium place seemed
a lot closer – and yet so far. My expectations grew too high and I couldn’t handle the pressure in
the final and finished 17th. It was my second WOC and second year in
the national team but I never thought that it was my best chance. I was still
inexperienced and naïve and believed that I had many years ahead and many more
chances to try to reach my dreams.
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| World Cup victory with Minna and Anni-Maija, England 2005 |
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| Finland's WOC team 2005 (SSL) |
But the following years were tough. I was working hard for
my research project and didn’t have time to rest between work and training. I tried
to balance there the best I could but probably pushed myself too hard and got several injuries
and stress fractures that hampered my training for next few years. In 2006 I was 11th on the middle distance in EOC and 15th in the overall World Cup but didn’t make it to the WOC due to various injuries. In 2008 I made a comeback with some very good results but got sick just
before the WOC finals and that was it. I got one more chance in WOC 2010 but
felt like a wallflower there when running a distance that has never been my cup
of tea. I finished 21st, far below my expectations.
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| Long qualification, WOC 2008 (WorldofO) |
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| Finland's women's team, WOC 2010 (SSL) |
After 2010 I really wanted to improve and made some drastic
changes in my life. For the first time I gave myself opportunity to train as a
pro and rest between the trainings. I just didn’t realize that I needed to
train orienteering to become a better orienteer. Spending three years in an
area with practically no orienteering maps, no club trainings and no national
team support didn’t make me a better orienteer. I became a better runner but
lost some of my technical skills. Retrospectively, I could have made more
progress as an orienteer if I had moved for instance to Halden instead of
Birmingham but, on the other hand, then I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to run
Inter Counties (cross country championships between the counties in England) or
to know what fell running is.
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| Back in action, World Cup 2013, NZ |
Anyway, I worked hard for five years to fulfill my dream and
to get to run World Championships for one more time but it didn’t happen. I
made some good results, such as a 6th place in the World Cup in Spain 2014, but I also screwed it up a few times despite good shape and preparations.
I was quite close to get to the team in 2013 and 2014 but the places are few
and the competition is hard. I was often among top3 or top4 in the selections but it wasn't enough. I should have done better and I probably should have
focused more on the selections than the actual championships. It has been frustrating to work for something for so long and then not to get a chance to try to achieve your goals. This year I was
put aside early in the spring due to prolonged infections. It took me several
months to recover and there wasn’t enough time to get back in time. It hit me
hard in the spring when I realized that I had just missed my last chance. It
was bad luck but there was nothing I could do. I tried and I failed but it’s
better than not to try at all. Life will continue and I have other dreams and
goals to achieve.
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| World Cup sprint, Finland, 2013 (SSL) |
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| World Cup final, Baden, 2013 (Marc Streit) |
I want to thank you all who’ve been there along the way and
supported me! Even if I didn’t reach all my goals and dreams I gained a lot and
enjoyed the journey. As an athlete you quite easily become very focused on the results
and winning but with some time and perspective I’m starting to realize how much
more it has been than just the results. All the hard work, dedication, and
commitment. All the sweat and tears. Emotions. Continuous learning. Training
camps. People. Bond between like-minded people. Friends. Shared goals. Shared happiness.
Places. Amazing places. Maybe I didn’t get to run for some silly medals but it
wasn’t all for nothing. I learned a lot about myself, got some wonderful
friends and got to see the world. So many great moments and good memories!
Some pics from the journey…
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| Training in African savannas, SA |
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| Refreshing bath after a run, SA |
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| Sprinting in beautiful surroundings |
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| Marsh intervals in Norway |
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| Getting high in Switzerland |
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| Scenic runs in New Zealand |
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| Training in the French Alps |
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| Having fun in Italy |
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| Having tea in Japan |
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| Good times... |
