The fast paddler competed in the midst of grief at the World Championships in Oregon.
Reetta Hurske revealed the secret. PASI LEISMA
Quick beeper Reetta Hurske30, finally reveals why he was out of the running for the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
The athlete from Tampere says that he received information from his mother before the games that his grandfather was in bad shape.
Shortly after that came the sad news. Grandpa’s death was naturally a hard place, but Hurske hid his grief from others.
– I cried, but quietly. I didn’t want my roommate to wake up, although in hindsight I know it wouldn’t have really bothered him. Probably the opposite. And I don’t know if he knows about this event to this day, Hurske write in his Instagram update.
He tried to keep his focus on sports. Hurske ran to the semifinals, where the clocked time was the worst of the season after breaking the fence.
Emotions were unleashed in front of the media.
– I didn’t tell anyone about it before the games, except for the coach, because “I had to focus on the games”. In the races, I ran poorly, even though I tried my best. Even in the interview, I must have rambled on about useless things. After running the semi-finals, after the interview with Yle, I burst into tears. But as you might expect, on the way to the press conference, I must have said that the reason for crying was just disappointment, and not the real reason.
Crisis
Hurske says that the events caused him an identity crisis.
– I reacted really strongly to this. I was in the yard for several months, and not myself at all. I had so many emotions that I had to deal with later, because the summer competition season was still in progress.
He reflects that instead of hiding his feelings, the matter should have been discussed immediately.
It finally happened with a delay.
Hurske began to think about what kind of life he wanted to live as an athlete and outside of sports. He said that he was a performer who thought about what he was doing in terms of how an athlete should act.
The process helped Hursket develop both as a person and as an athlete.
– I started to enjoy life in a different way and I understood that it should also be fun. Sounds obvious, but it really wasn’t. Things fell into place.