Oona Ylitolonen has hoped for more competition in this challenging fitness sport. Sunday was really enough.
Oona Ylitolonen was disappointed after Sunday’s race. The three-time Finnish champion was third in acrobatic fitness.
– The level was really hard. Before the race, I counted points that could happen anyway. Of course, the result is annoying, I believed in second place, he said.
Acrobatic fitness includes an impressive free program in addition to a physics tour. In practice, therefore, an excellent race performance requires double the work.
The demanding nature of the species also compares well to Ylitolonen’s daily life. The graduate athlete is the mother of a two-year-old child, does a full-time internship at a law firm, holds a Fitness Corner podcast, and of course trains – often twice a day.
– I wake up at seven in the morning with my child. Then train and work to ten. In the evening then go home and the child will be anesthetized and exercise even in the evening after the cat. If my husband is responsible for anesthetizing the child, then I get to do another exercise a little earlier. Yes, that’s a really hectic go. I rarely get to relax properly, but I take care of the rest by investing in enough sleep.
– Fortunately, my husband also takes a lot of responsibility for child and home care and I get a lot of help from my parents.
“I get more out of it”
Oona Ylitalo is a three-time Finnish champion. Tommi Mankki / NFE
On Sunday, he took first place in the Fitness Classic Maikku Hiljanen and second state Camilla Bergström.
Ylitolonen has wanted more competitors and a tougher level for the sport in Finland as well. At the international level, amateurs are tough. He has also competed as a professional but has returned as an amateur.
– As an professional, there were few competitions and few competitors in acrobatic fitness, so I returned as an amateur, because there are more competitors here and the level is also tougher in freestyle fitness. In fitness, many competitors in Finland have generally had either a hard brave or physics, but for top competitors, both areas must be prime. Now, in the Classic Classic, there were good competitors in both areas.
– Even though I lost this time, I get more out of racing as an amateur.
Ylitolonen also competed in body fitness on Saturday. It came in nicely second in its own length class. It also brought a seat to next month’s European Championships in Spain.
– I’m really proud of Saturday’s ranking and I’m going to represent Finland in another sport.
However, he is not planning a complete change of species – at least not yet.
– Of course, the free program still requires extra training on top of all the other chores, but maybe when I finish freestyle fitness, I could then switch to full body fitness. I am currently competing in both sports.
After completing the European Championships, he will assess whether he intends to compete in the Nordic Fitness Expo Championships in the autumn, where World Championship places will be awarded. Fitness Championship medals were only competed in the Junior and Masters series.
– This year it would be good to compete now and next year to focus on developing physics and freedom to move forward and, if and when I graduate in the autumn, to start working life.
Oona Ylitalo is an experienced performer. Tommi Mankki / NFE