The late ski jumper Matti Nykänen would have turned 59 last weekend.
Nykänen died suddenly on February 4, 2019. The cause of death was later revealed to be long-standing pancreatitis and pneumonia.
Pia Nykänen became a widow in 2019 when her husband, hill jumper Matti Nykänen, died unexpectedly. Riitta Heiskanen
Widowed Pia Nykänen has noted her husband’s birthday on her Instagram account. Pia has published an emotional photo together, where she poses looking happy next to Mati.
If the image is not visible, you can view it from here.
In the caption, she writes a beautiful message to her late spouse.
– Good luck to heaven my dear, 59 years yesterday.
A long marriage
Pia and Matti met each other in 2013. The hill jumper had just turned 50 years old.
– It was quite a decisive year. After the birthdays, Ari and I went to a gig in Joutseno. There was a gig and there were two lovely looking girls. I told Ari that we should go to sleep now. Ari suggested to me that we go and drink one beer at the bar while we stay the night, Matti told Iltalehte in 2016.
Pia and Matti at Linna’s party on Independence Day in 2015. Pasi Liesimaa/IL
The engagement was exchanged after three months of dating. The two got married already in 2014.
– Immediately after the engagement, Matti started talking about the wedding. I told him that luckily I’m old enough to not have children. Otherwise, I guess they should have been purchased from the same sitting, Pia recalled to Iltalehti in 2015.
During his life, Matti Nykänen also had time to make a career as a singer. MATTI MATIKAINEN
After Mati’s death, Pia has spoken openly about the grief she faced. In the spring of 2020, he told Iltalehte that he still wears the jewelry he received from Mati around his neck and the wedding ring on his finger.
– I meant to get stuck at home and didn’t go anywhere. Didn’t care and wasn’t interested in going anywhere. My friends got out of the house and moved around so I wouldn’t mess up. Little by little I started visiting friends and walking the dog.