Eesti
Introduce yourself briefly
I am 29 years old and I’m from Hiiumaa. I have devoted my life maily to sports this far. In relation to that I moved to Tallinn after the ninth grade and I finished high school at Tallinna Nõmme Gümnaasium. This spring I stepped back from my sports career. Today I am an entrepreneur and I sell club sports clothing.
Three facts about you
- I was raised in the rally environment because my dad and two older brothers were racers.
- I’ve been to 22 different countries since I started with my sports career.
- I know “Two and a half men” lines by heart.
How did you find your way to EBS?
Because I didn’t didn’t go all the way on my first try of getting a higher education, I made a decision that after retiring from sports I’ll definitely start studying. One of the criterias was session-based studies and that I had to be really interested in the field of study. I opened the list of all Estonian universities and looked them through and EBS clearly stood out. . I also have a few good friends who have studied at EBS and they gave me a really positive feedback on studying there.
You are a biathlete, how did you stumble upon that? What is the most intriguing thing about it?
I found my way to biathlon when I was in Kurgjärve training camp as a cross-country skier in 2002. My coach offered me to try shooting. I was immediately interested in that and after a week I already went to my first biathlon competition. I can’t remember if I hit one of the targets or not, but it encouraged me to continue that path. The decision to choose biathlon over cross-country skiing was a natural course of things after some time.
Biathlon is intriguing to me because in order to have a great performance, you have to make several variables to match. The performance isn’t relying only on good shooting skills or great speed. It’s also exciting because of the tight competition. Only hundred sportsmen from 25 different countries could compete for the points of the World Cup. It makes the competition interesting for both competitors and the spectators.
You have taken part in many competitions. Which one is the most memorable of them all?
The most memorable competition was Estonian Championship of the year 2016. I was proud of my performance and I got a worthy prize – Estonian championship title.
What do you do on your free time?
I have to admit that working and studying at the same time is quite energy and time consuming, and maybe I haven’t fully got used to that kind of workload yet. I think this might be the reason I end up on my couch some nights, instead of training. Luckily I have a sporty partner and friends who still invite me to work out. When I get the chance, I go home to Hiiumaa, but I have to admit, the journey takes about 3,5 hours and I can’t find that kind of time every weekend. From time to time we get together with my friends to barbeque, to go to sauna, play pool or bowling, go karting and do some other activities. As a rally fan I keep my eye on the WRC also.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
I am inspired by people around me who bring out the best in me.
If you had a time machine and could travel to any chosen time and anywhere in the past, where would you go and why?
I would turn the time back and go to World Junior Championships in 2008, to the last range where I left three targets up altogether with my hope for a medal. I believe that I was capable of hitting those targets 🙂
If you could live a life of any celebrity, who would you choose and why?
I think that I’d choose someone from biathlon world champions or Olympic winners. I’d like to know how does it feel like to be sure that you are the very best (of your field of sports) in the world. For example Ole Einar Bjørndalen or Johannes Thingnes Bø.
A quote you live by.
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right!” – Henry Ford
Translator: Marlen Kuusk
Editor: Tea Teesalu
