By André Santos
To celebrate ten years of existence, Team Electrofit from Finland decided to join the Pro Tour and try to give their best, having fun at the same time and inspiring more Finnish athletes to enjoy the outdoors and the beautiful landscapes of Visma Ski Classics events.
Electrofit is a sports company that offers endurance coaching services and sports tours to Visma Ski Classics events and is the main sponsor of Team Electrofit. The team is composed of amateur athletes passionate about long distance skiing.
Team Electrofit athletes have different sports backgrounds, but they all love double poling through the outdoors.
“Double poling is something that connects us, and that is why we are now stepping into the Pro Tour. Many of us have been racing in Visma Ski Classics events for more than ten years. Now is the time to get more involved,” says Kalle Liukkonen, Pro Team Director Team Electrofit.
“Our best result so far has been 100th at Marcialonga,” he continues.
Trying to achieve the best result in the Pro Tour while working is not easy, but Kalle Liukkonen, who works as a structural engineer in Finland, believes that training has given him more energy for work and his personal life.
“I like to train hard and long. For example, on Friday, when the workweek is over. Is there anything better than going hard with Skierg?” asks Kalle.
Also, Mikael Lahteenmaki, who works in the construction industry, believes that long distance skiing is the perfect platform to challenge his body and mind. As a side effect, daily life goes easier because of his excellent shape.
“Balance is everything, and sometimes overall load gets too big. Then you have to take a step back and recharge your batteries. That is a good moment to learn something new from yourself and be wiser next time when recognizing the marks of overload,” states Mikael.
He leaves his advice to all amateur and ambitious skiers:
“Personal life, sport, and work create a triangle where every side should be the same size.”
“Well, we are amateurs, so we are big sponsors for ourselves, but there are also other partners that enable the team to be more competitive and participate in as many events as possible,” says Kalle Liukkonen.
The plan was to attend the races in the Alps. Due to Covid-19, the team decided to stay home and then focus on the nordic events.
“We will be at the starting line of Vasaloppet, Birkebeinerrennet, and Ylläs-Levi. Because we didn’t attend the races in the Alps, some of us will also participate in Årefjällsloppet and Reistadsløpet,” says Kalle Liukkonen.
“For success in Visma Ski Classics, the most important factor is to have fun and to have regular training sessions. Do the long and hard workouts when you are ready for it. If you feel tired, don’t worry about skipping a training day”, Liukkonen ends.
