Määttänen was one of the biggest successes of the last athletics summer. The goals for the coming season are even tougher.
Finland’s second fastest time of all time at 800 meters. A place in the World Cup semi-finals, where a record was created in an extremely tough club. The eight fastest times of my career within a couple of months.
Eveliina Määttanen, 28, last season was, in his own words, fantastic. The public talked about a sensation. Still, when MTV asked at the end of August about the runner’s new cooperation patterns, Määttänen said with amusement that the phone had not picked up.
– Finding sponsors is by no means easy. I’ve noticed that it requires a lot of activity from me, he says now by phone to Urheilu.
However, Määttänen has good news. The athlete, who is responsible for his own sponsor procurement, says that he has a new main cooperation partner. It is a financial company whose support Määttänen describes as significant.
– They contacted me after the Sweden match, and in the fall we agreed on cooperation. It has been a really big thing for me.
A new partner and remote work at a pharmaceutical wholesale and import company have made it possible for Määttänen to focus on elite sports better than before. He says he is now living his dream in many ways.
– Feeling motivated and grateful. I’ve sometimes thought that it’s a joke, how I would like to live the everyday life of a top athlete. This has been a training season where it has become a reality.
The change has been big. In previous years, Määttänen has trained in autumn in his home country of Finland, but in the current training season he has already completed two months of foreign camps.
Määttänen camped between September and October in the southern French mountain region of Font-Romeu. In mid-November, he headed to the small town of Potchefstroom in South Africa, which is familiar to track and field athletes.
Training in warm, glorious conditions has been a luxury for the runner from Kerava, although the trip to South Africa also served a little culture shock. Due to the constant power outages in the area, the athletes got used to living without electricity for several hours a day.
– On the first day, we went to our first place to buy candles. In that mess, I sprained my ankle in the dark yard. However, we quickly adapted to the conditions and the ankle got better, says Määttänen.
Otherwise, according to Määttänen, both the camp and the entire training fall went optimally. The runner is focused on his coach spouse Jan Petrac with management, especially for the development of durability properties.
One of the best aspects of camp life was the opportunity to practice and exchange ideas with international colleagues. Määttänen trained, among others, a Serbian coach and a 400-meter World Cup bronze medalist By Emir Bekric in the group.
Diamond-hard goals
Määttänen has worked for a long time alongside his sports career. The runner, who trained as a pharmacist, currently works part-time in a pharmaceutical and health wholesale company, where he does training and marketing work.
– The atmosphere at work has been supportive and understanding. I can work remotely and flexibly, which makes camping possible, says Määttänen.
– The top of the world, where I aim, is diamond hard. Everyday life has to be on the terms of sports in order to reach the top. Right now, that’s just how it goes.
However, the hunt for sponsors has not ended, on the contrary. Negotiations with a few potential partners are still ongoing. Resources are needed, because Määttänen has set his goals high for next season.
Määttänen, who is known in athletics circles for her great curling ability, has been tipped for a place in the finals at the European Championships in Rome, and if everything goes right, even a medal.
– My goals are definitely an EC medal. I believe that I have the potential to reach the top of Europe in the 800 meters, says Määttänen.
Later in the summer, the highlight of the athletes’ careers lies ahead, the Paris Olympics.
– The Olympics are little Eve’s big sports dream. I want to get there until the final.