At some point in their career, many track and field athletes move to a club in a big city, for example for better training conditions, coaching or financial support. 28-year-old shot putter Kaisa Kymäläinen swam against the current and two years ago moved from Orivesi’s Ponnistus to tiny Hirsilä’s Pyrkivä.
– When the situation came up that I wanted to change clubs, I thought what would be better than returning to my hometown. I am from Hirsilä and I returned there as the club’s only all-around athlete to put Hirsilä on the world map. There has been a warm reception and I have received great support from all the people of Hirsilä, says Kymäläinen.
Hirsilä is a village of just under 400 inhabitants, located ten kilometers from the center of Orivesi.
On Sunday, Kymäläinen surprised the early favorites at the Kaleva Games in Lahti and won the SM gold with a result of 16.94. His own record was improved by 44 cents.
– It’s wonderful to take the club’s first Finnish championship there!
The level of women’s ball has risen dramatically in Finland in the last few years. When Kymäläinen won his first Finnish championship at Seinäjoki in 2017, the winning score was 15.80. In this year’s Kaleva Games, it would have been enough instead of fifth. Emilia Fabric was fourth in the centimeter race with a result of 16.75.
Before the final of the Kaleva Games, Kymäläinen had pushed over 16 meters only once this summer (16.19). As well as the silver medalist of the Kaleva Games Eveliina Rouvali that the bronze medalist Senja Mäkitörmä have pushed 17.53 during the past year, so Kymäläinen took a couple of hard scalps with his Finnish championship.
– We laughed at the calling (meeting) with other experienced foxes, with what kind of results they have sometimes won SM gold. The level of women’s ball has risen tremendously, which moves us all forward, says Kymäläinen.
From a WC medalist in volleyball to a shot putter
Kymäläinen is a different case otherwise than because of his club. While still in his twenties, his main sport was volleyball, which he played at the major league level for several years. As an all-around player of Orivesi Ponnistus, he won two SM silvers and one bronze before deciding to focus fully on the shot put.
Kymälä is coached Teijo Köpikkä, who himself recently returned to being a top athlete. Earlier in July, Kööpikkä, 42, won bronze at the World Para Athletics Championships in the class 57 shot put with a Finnish record of 14.80.
Kööpikkä was one of Finland’s most promising uninjured shot putters when he was younger, but his career was cut short when he fell ill with spinal muscular atrophy at the age of 24. In the spring of this year, he received the disability classification for para sports.
Kymäläinen has followed his coach’s development with great interest.
– I am really happy for Teijo. That’s pretty awesome. We can share the same feelings and recognize what we are both going through. We have a little competition. We have to stick to the above when we have the same tool (4 kg). When Teijo has improved a lot, it has also pushed me forward.
Read more: Teijo Kööpikkä was a promising athlete when his leg stopped working – years later, he got a life-changing idea from an online video
Kööpikä’s own sports career, who lives in Rauma, the recent family addition and the almost 200 km distance to Orivede have brought their own scheduling challenges to the coaching relationship between Kymäläinen and Kööpikä. In the summer, they have met not only in competitions but also in training every week, often somewhere halfway.
The coach fought through the difficulties
In the past few years, Kymäläinen’s playing sports has been hampered by health problems. Kymäläinen, who was constantly sick last winter, was found to have exercise-induced asthma, which partly explained the weak mood of the training season.
– My story is just a list of difficulties, if we get down to it, Kymäläinen said and burst into laughter.
A positive attitude and humor have helped through difficult moments, but there have also been times when Kymäläis has not laughed at all in the hall.
– There have been a lot of health concerns and really disruptive training seasons. Teijo and I have persistently believed and trusted. While I haven’t believed, Teijo has. Nothing easy has fit into this journey. That’s why these moments are so special, says Kymäläinen.
Coach Kööpikkä sees tremendous potential in his 183-centimetre coach to push even further. According to Kööpikä, Kymäläinen has great strength levels at the bottom, which, however, he needs to be able to train in good health to take advantage of.
The Kaleva Games championship increases hunger, especially when the 17-meter limit is already so close. It is realistic for Kymäläinen to make it to next summer’s European Championships, if there are similar ball arcs in a few more races.
Kymäläinen returns to Hirsilä as Finnish champion. Is there a gold festival in the village?
– I do not know! There was quite a lot of hype about bronze last year, so it could be that people are quite excited about this gold there, laughs Kymäläinen.