When 2025 rolled around, a multi-athlete Vilma Itälinna21, turned a new page in his career.
He gave up his apartment in Tampere and moved to Växjö in southern Sweden. There, a new training environment and a new coach awaited the Tampere Pyrinnö athlete Nadja Casadei.
– The trainings have started very well here, that is of course the biggest thing. And there are such nice and helpful people here that it has been really easy to come here. It already feels like home, Itälinna is glowing when two weeks have passed since the change of scenery.
The same change was also made by a fellow competitor Emmi Valtonenwith whom Itälinna lives as a roommate in the triangle in Växjö.
– Our biggest problems here have been the wet weather and the fact that there is no drying cabinet. Otherwise, everything has gone super well and life is rolling, Itälinna is happy.
Itälinna says his intuition is the biggest reason for changing his place of residence and coach.
– It has been in my mind for a long time that Sweden could be my place.
The brand continues to move forward
Itälinna does not believe that it would have changed its coach without the current top scorer Saga Vannisen the impetus generated.
From 2022, coached Itälinna, Vanni and Valto Jesse Jokinen. In October, the coaching relationship between Vannine and Jokinen was said to end.
– I liked Jesse’s coaching and I liked training with Saga. We have been training with Saga for so long that it would have been easy and nice to continue with it, says Itälinna.
– I feel like it was a bit like a sign that it’s time to move on to the next one.
Matchmaker Lovisa Karlsson coach Nadja Casadei had attracted Itälinna’s interest earlier.
41-year-old Casadei is himself a former track and field athlete who won the Swedish heptathlon championship in his career and represented his country at the World Championships.
In November, Itälinna and Valtonen traveled to Växjö to get to know the new coach candidate environment. There was no need to think about the decision after the visit.
– I had even decided in advance that this would be good. It just got stronger here as it felt so natural. It’s like I’ve always been in this group.
The challenges of distance coaching
Itälinna emphasizes several times during the interview how satisfied he was with Jokinen’s coaching.
The biggest challenge of the coaching relationship was remote coaching, which he does not consider ideal for himself. Although communication with the coach worked and meeting face to face was fun, living in different cities created its own challenges.
– It’s always a different matter, whether I say live or on the phone that I have this feeling. Then maybe you follow the program sooner and can become a little blind, not listening to your body as much.
– And when you come back after an injury, you feel that a little more presence is required, Itälinna says, referring to the rupture of his Achilles tendon that happened last winter.
You can be yourself
The social Itälinna in Sweden enjoys the people around it. Training with tough guys inspires, and in the training group there is plenty of talk about things outside of sports as well.
– We always have so much fun in the group and it feels like you can be completely yourself, which is when you get the best result.
Itälinna describes its new coach as empathetic and motherly.
– Since Nadja is a woman herself, she also understands certain difficult moments and areas of sensitivity.
Part of the praise comes from the training conditions. In Tampere, athletes have criticized the fact that the training hall is out of use for long periods of time due to the fairs organized there.
Itälinna no longer has this problem.
– The conditions are super good. They are kept clean, and athletes are valued here and want to help them.
The injury was remembered
A year ago in February, the rupture of the Achilles tendon took Itälinna to the operating room and required a long rehabilitation period. That’s why last season went sideways.
Recently, he has gotten back to sports training. The painful injury that happened during the long jump warm-up is still in the memory.
– A couple of months ago, I walked a few steps in sneakers to get to know the long jump track. I hadn’t dared to go see it for almost nine months, Itälinna says.
However, soon the love for the long jump was found again.
– I have praised a lot that there have been no worse trust problems. The string is literally so thick right now that you have to trust it.
The work done by the previous coaches has also been praised by the new pilot.
– Nadja has said many times that she is grateful for our previous coaches, who have laid such a good foundation for us in, for example, running and strength, that it was easy to start coaching us.
Goals in the European Youth Championships
Itälinna’s record score of 5,703 is from May 2023. This year, the goal is to exceed them.
The competitor believes that even though there has been a backlog in terms of sports training, the work done in other areas during rehabilitation will enable the pursuit of records.
In terms of competition, Itälinna’s main target is the under-23 European Championship, which will be held in July in Bergen, Norway.
– Of course, there are my own goals, but for now I’ll at least keep them to myself. Let’s see, if we get a little closer, I dare say them out loud.