Ex-national team star Jari Rantanen made a New Year’s resolution, pulled himself together and dug out the sticks.
The color splash of football fields Jari “Jallu” Rantanen stated as the turn of the year approached that something must be done now.
Rantanen posted on Facebook that he promises to weigh no more than 114.9 kilos by the beginning of June. In the picture, the scale showed 125.3 kilos.
Rantanen decided to resort to a form of fitness that he had already despised twenty years ago. Then we already went along the Helsinki Central Park.
– I heard that I once said that it is never so dark in Finland that I would go walking with a pole. Now I’m going to go there, Rantanen laughs.
– Pole walking is indeed a good form of exercise in that it is difficult to get scattered places.
The large man moves with surprising agility as he sprays with his wands. Even the artificial knee installed after his playing career has taken a gentle approach to his new hobby.
– The most important thing for me is that I start taking better care of myself.
Refreshment for everyday life
Jari Rantanen wants to lighten his body and mind. Jussi Eskola
Rantanen has joked that he wants to get in “beach shape” for the summer. The beginning is off to a good start, and the kilos have already been shed. However, the ex-athlete does not want to stare too closely at the pound.
He wants more energy for everyday life and social situations. Rantase has six children and six grandchildren.
– Sometimes I feel bad that I am not with my children and grandchildren too much. When I’m in good shape, it’s passed on to those close to me.
Bring your friends
Pole-walking was selected as Rantanen’s form of training. Jussi Eskola
Rantanen jogs alone or with a friend 4–6 times a week. He plans to include muscle fitness training at some point, but first the plan is to lose a little weight with aerobic training.
The nutritional aspect is also in mind. Rantanen laughs that he leaves out pale naan bread from his favorite Nepalese food.
– I also try to eat salad, but cucumber is so expensive that I don’t buy it.
Rantanen was known on the playing field as an unyielding fighter who always dragged situations to the end. A similar tiger’s eye can be found, if necessary, even during runs, which sometimes stretch to more than two hours.
– One guy said that you can’t possibly drop to 105 kilos. I knew it was a challenge, but I didn’t go for that talk. I would have left before.
Rantanen was delighted when more than 70 Facebook friends announced that they were participating in the challenge in their own way.
– Sweet thing. We encourage each other.
After the end of his career, Rantanen was actively involved in running before a knee injury prevented it. At best, the half-marathon took an hour and 51 minutes.
Coaching career
Ex-national team member Jari Rantanen had a remarkable playing career also on European fields. Jussi Eskola
Rantanen ended his remarkable football career in 2000 in the ranks of AC Vantaa. The striker, who started his championship career in HJK, won three championship golds, three Finnish Cups and one Swedish championship. In 1987, he became the first Finnish player to win the Eurocup (Uefa Cup) in the ranks of IFK Göteborg.
In addition to Sweden and Finland, the striker also played professionally in Portugal (GD Estoril Praia), Belgium (Beerschot) and England (Leicester). Four goals were scored in the national team’s 36 matches.
After his playing career, Rantanen coached, but that era ended when KTP rose from Second to First in 2017.
– There were inquiries, but I was somehow so exhausted after the installation of the artificial knee. When you have answered in the negative for a long enough time, the contacts have stopped completely, Rantanen acknowledges.
The current job hardly allows for coaching. Rantanen works long hours in sales at a solar panel company.
He is also waiting for the sun on the jogging path.
– In the spring, it would be nice to go jogging in the morning and in the evening a second time. After that, I should be forced into some kind of treatment, Jallu laughs.