Sara Killinen had planned a completely different life for himself in middle school than he has now ended up with. After high school, he had to end up in Tampere to study engineering, and after graduating from there – faster than usual, of course – he would start working for a good company and live on money.
However, a good year from the small village of Lakalauoma in Lapua, a good year ago, instead of Tampere, he ended up in the United States, the state of Virginia, the small town of Blacksburg and studying at the local Virginia Tech University. Engineering studies also quickly changed to studying information and public relations.
But 21-year-old Killinen did not move to the United States because of his studies, but ended up there to become a better hammer thrower. And at least so far, the move has been worthwhile, as Killinen improved his record last year to new meter readings close to 65 meters and this season he has made it even better.
Immediately in his first race of the season, he threw over 66 meters and by the end of April, Leka was already flying almost 70 meters to a score of 69.50! With this result, Killinen rose to sixth place in Finland’s all-time statistics.
– It feels like it’s been there for many years, but I haven’t really been able to test myself or my own condition at the Games because I’m terribly excited,
During his university years, Killinen has worked with a sports psychologist almost weekly to cause stress. The tension is easily visible in the throwing technique, for example, because when tense, Killinen is unable to keep his shoulders relaxed, and it immediately affects the result.
Although Killinen has made the hammer fly, the excitement has not completely disappeared. However, he has been disciplined. He now knows how to be better present during the competition, and the idea of not even tying shoelaces to future throws.
– It is important that I do not think at all about what will happen in the future or in the past, but I am exactly what I am doing. I still have something to do with it, but I’ve improved a lot, Killinen said.
– I feel like I’ve grown up and maybe I’m a better person than I was when I came here.
70 meters is no longer a bastard
The U.S. university world is not for everyone, not even athletes. Several athletes have also left Finland to try it out, but the tough competition has often taken more than it gives. For Killis, the competitive situation has agreed, although recent results have made him wonder: am I that good?
In Finland, crossing the 70-meter limit is a milestone for women, and they have only crossed it Krista Tervo and Silja Kosonen and an Estonian representing Noormarkku Nopsa Kati Ojaloo. But the United States is moving in different readings, after all DeAnna Pricen threw a national record of 80.31.
– It seems that in Finland Krista and Silja are so unique and wrestling in a different class, while here they (70-meter throwers) come out the doors and windows, women pass by everywhere. It somehow gets the feeling that I can do that too.
The tough competitive situation in the United States also offers Killinen an opportunity for invisibility, because if there is no top score in the competition, no one will pay attention to it. At least not in the same way as he was used to in Finland.
Killinen, who had lived in his sports bubble during high school time, found that he easily lost his civilian life. It was hard for him to be someone other than just an athlete.
– There are so many racers here that it’s easier when you know there’s nothing to lose. Either you win and everyone remembers it, or you don’t win and life doesn’t change in any way.
Killinen has enough talent for hammering, as he has physicality, a length of 181 cents and a dimension. Indeed, Killinen believes that by the time he is able to fully manage the tension and channel it properly, he will throw very far.
Breaking the 70-meter limit would be important to Killinen, but it is no longer a bastard for him.
– It’s only half a meter away. It may or may not come. After all, it feels like it’s just a number now.
Eight-time Finnish champion Merja Korpela was a great role model for Killinen, which he has always looked up and faned. Now Killinen is only six cents away from Korpela’s record of 69.56. Internalizing this has been confusing for Killinen.
– I think I’m a country girl. I’m just from Sara Lapua. I have to not think too much now, because I can think of over-thinking. You have to restrain yourself, Killinen laughed deeply.
The situation in Finnish hammer throws also seems very good, as Krista Tervo has already improved Finland’s record readings to 74.40 this season, and there are plenty of tighteners behind her.
According to Killinen, the level of hammering in Finnish women is “quite good” at the moment and it is great that there is enough competition in Finland as well. Throwers also have a good sense of doing things together.
– I think it’s wonderful that we’re coming to Finland to raise our heads and show that you are now looking at this level of the hammer. It doesn’t always have to be the spear that shines from Finland in the world.
The culture shock hit me hard
Recruit from U.S. universities struck Killinen when he won silver at the 17-year-old European Championships under the age of 18 at Györ. Studying and practicing in the United States had never been a dream for Killinen, especially since she did not know how to speak English and did not dare to speak it to anyone.
As a respected throwing coach at Louisiana State University Greg Watson sent Killinen a first inquiry about the matter, the idea remained to burn. Over time, Killinen found that he didn’t want the usual path from high school to college and work, followed by family, a child, and a dog. He wanted to see the world and challenge himself.
Next summer at the European Championships for under-19s in Borås, Sweden, Killinen spoke to both Watson and Virginia Tech coach Andrew Dubsin with and decided to leave. The decision between Louisiana and Virginia was a difficult one, but he made his decision based on first impression and which one had a better engineering training program – and Virginia Tech is known for this.
Although Killinen’s major has already changed, he admits to being lucky, as he now has a very good coach, Dubs, and a good framework for both studying and training. However, not everything went as he had thought.
– I’m not saying that my civilian life has been lost, but I have had to find myself again. I have had to think about what I really want out of life. And I wouldn’t have thought this cultural shock would be so bad.
The first year in particular was difficult for a Lapua resident who came to the other side of the ocean from a small remote village. He misses rye bread and porridge, and clean food in general. For the outspoken South Ostrobothnian, the way the Americans communicated caused problems and the overkill kindness of the locals got on his nerves.
– I saw everything negatively because I was in that cultural shock. If you don’t change abroad yourself, you don’t understand how that culture can affect you and how much you can relate to your own culture.
The home crowd, godfather and former coach Ilari Huttula have supported Kill, although none of them reportedly originally wanted the young athlete to leave for the United States. However, Killinen kept his head and plans to study in Virginia for the next three years now.
Killinen admits that video calls home have been extremely important to him, not least because he can speak Finnish at that time. For, though, two Finnish athletes, a football player, are studying at Virginia Tech Aino Vuorinen and swimmer Julia Bruneautheir schedules meet very rarely.
– Homesickness has struck every now and then, but perhaps it is more disguised in the irritability caused by cultural shock. Just the kind that annoys everyone and all Americans now, why can’t they be normal?
“I don’t consider the European Championships impossible at all”
There has been less cultural shock in coaching, although it has become clear to Killinen over the course of the year what hard training means. A hard training group pushes him forward, but especially in the fall and after the hall season, he was “completely broken” from the training.
The biggest difference to Finland has been that where Ilari Huttula he planned the exercises with Killinen really systematically and Killinen always knew where to go, he now doesn’t have much information about the future.
– I don’t know my race calendar properly. I know the NCAA, but I don’t know what happens next. Probably my coach has a similar system in his head as Ilari, but he hasn’t just shared it with me.
Many foreign students have come to Virginia Tech on a scholarship, mostly to party, but Killinen has made it clear to all parties that he is doing well at the university. He has been excited to have found goals and dreams in his post-sport era through his new major, but his biggest goals now are for sport: he wants to one day get to the Olympics and sport is one way for him to see his limits.
– You can obviously change it to the other side of the world and see how you get along, he grinned.
Killinen doesn’t know yet, because he will return to Finland, as he likes to practice with his current coach. Also, the domestic “field races” or small races enthusiasm, but he prefers to compete in the United States then.
Due to his good results, Killinen has had to change his goals for this season. The most important competitions for him have, of course, been the NCAA Championships in the World University Sports Championships in Eugene in early June and the Kaleva Championships in Joensuu. However, the August European Championships in Munich have now been borne in mind.
The result of the European Championships is as high as 71.80. The boundaries have been intentionally tightened so that the last seats are distributed based on rankings.
– I don’t consider the European Championships impossible. If these races are now going on like this, that’s going so well, then why not. However, I do not take it for granted.