Ari Nummela has done a lot of work for Finnish endurance sports and has coached Eemil Helander into a junior medalist in both cross-country skiing and endurance running.
Long-term endurance running coach Ari Nummela, 61, has to leave his coaching duties due to his illness. Nummela fell ill with cancer three years ago, the progress of which could not be stopped. The first discovery was made in the kidney, but the cancer has since spread widely to other internal organs as well.
– Due to my illness, I can no longer continue, Nummela describes her situation.
The doctor of exercise science started coaching already in the 80s after finishing his own running career. Until these days, he ran a group of ten athletes in his hometown Jyväskylä, which included endurance runners and orienteers. The most famous of Nummela’s athletes is probably the endurance runner Eemil Helander, 22, who has both the youth World Championship silver in cross-country skiing and the youth European Championship silver in the 5,000-meter run. The duo’s collaboration lasted ten years.
– If Eemil just stays healthy, he will definitely go far, all the way to the adult competition level. No one knows yet whether he will become a medalist in the competition. It is possible, Nummela thinks.
In his civilian job, Nummela has worked as KIHU’s leading expert in sports physiology. During his career, he has managed to make more than 60 international research publications and write several books about endurance sports. The athletes he has coached have won more than 200 SM medals.
– I have received more from coaching than I can describe in words. Every coach has taught me something new every day, Nummela describes.
Nummela is above all grateful for his cooperation with Helander.
– The main thing in mind is mutual deep trust. It made a lot of things possible, Nummela thinks.
Nummela knows that he will not return to coaching duties. He is confident about Helander’s future under new coach Janne Ukonmaanaho.
– Life goes on, he reminds.