Spinnova recently became a sponsor for a young Finnish track & field athlete, 17-year-old mid distance runner Alisa Virtanen. Much like her sponsor, Alisa works very hard for the long haul – for her highest goal, the Olympics.
As a child, Alisa Virtanen first took up football, but around 12 years she realized she liked running as well, and began to train in the local track and field team, namely mid distance running in 800 and 1,500 meter distances.
And she was a natural runner. Already at thirteen, Alisa won the Finnish championship. Around fifteen years old, she no longer had time for both hobbies on top of school, so she wanted to devote her free time to running and gave up football after ten years.
– In 2018, Alisa had her first value championships; junior European Championships, Youth Olympics and of course, the Scandinavian derby, the Finland-Sweden athletics, Alisa’s father and coach Kari lists.
Paris 2024, here she comes
Now, Alisa has her target no lower than the Summer Olympics 2024 in Paris. This means 3,5 years of training very hard on top of studying for this young lady, whose professional aspiration is to become a medical doctor.
What’s her recipe for succeeding?
– Firstly, having my dad as my coach works really well. Dad trains and supports me, but I make the ultimate decisions on my training. We aim to develop steadily, without overdoing it and avoiding injuries. Holistic well being is important for an athlete, and I have other interests as well to balance things off, Alisa explains.
On her time off studying and training, Alisa plays the piano, draws, cooks and bakes. As for Spinnova, a supporting network is also crucial for Alisa. Sponsors, her team at the Jyväskylä track and field club, her family and friends keep her going.
Sustainably sporty
This generation X representative has found an inspiring sponsor in Spinnova, a local innovation, as she finds sustainability imperative for the sports as well as any textile industry going forward.
– I would love to wear both the Spinnova sponsor logo and sports gear made of the fibre one day, she ends.
We are convinced that in the 2024 Olympics, she will do just that.