Ringa Ropo’s difficult year – Suru news was followed by a big cut

Ringa Ropo is a tree-hugger at Lempäälä’s jumping carnival. Juha Veli Jokinen

One of the legends of Finnish athletics Ringa Ropo57, got new artificial joints in both knees three months ago.

– It was a four-hour surgery and both knees were put on artificial joints. During my sports career, I had no problems, but the spirals went away over time. There was cartilage and then the bones rubbed against each other, Ropo says.

He says he is recuperating from the spring operation at a good pace.

– Right away just to rehabilitate and get on your knees. I go for a walk, do gymnastics and cycle. My old knees couldn’t even take longer walks, I had to sit and whistle, says Ropo.

He is excited in the hustle and bustle of work. At the weekend in Lempäälä, the height, length and jumping carnivals are celebrated. The triple jump legend Willie Banks has arrived all the way from San Diego as a guest invited by Ropo.

Banks

Ropo, a former top high and long jumper, previously worked for others, but for three years has been active in the sports and events industry as an entrepreneur.

The sports legend, rich in ideas, thrives in the field.

– Within the framework of my company Hop, Step and Think Oy, I came up with the idea of ​​Willie’s visit and, among other things, the event at the Lempäälä Idea Park for Friday. Willie danced Zumba there, Ropo says.

He remembers Banks, another jumping legend, very well.

– I used to watch the Helsinki 1983 World Championships on TV as a young athlete. Willie charmed the audience and started the famous “bänks”, i.e. clapping before the performance, says Ropo excitedly.

He has a lot of ideas around sports, exercise and the world of clubs and organizations. The ex-athlete feels right at home in this work sector.

– I also took a course at Turku University of Applied Sciences – and by the way, I was Nestori on that course. I have been involved in so many that I feel strong about my work, says Ringa brightly.

– As a young athlete, I already dreamed of my own company, and now it was time to finally realize this dream.

Great career

Ringa Ropo, who switched from high jump to long jump, still holds the Finnish long jump record. The result 685 is from 1990.

Ropo won a total of 11 Finnish championships, including indoor competitions. He was ninth in the World Championships in Tokyo in 1991, third in the European Indoor Championships in 1989 and fourth in the European Indoor Championships in 1989.

All this after back surgery.

– Yes, the period after the back surgery was my strongest sports period at the top. Back forced to change sport from high jump to long jump.

The years 1989–91 were the best period in terms of results.

– As a junior, I tried many athletics, I even ran the 100 meters in Tampere in 11.73, Ropo recalls.

As the best memories of his career, he mentions, in addition to his performances, the contacts and everyone he has known over the years.

“My grief is private”

Ringa Ropo and Juha Junnila were married from 1988–2009. They had four children, of which the firstborn died at the age of two.

– Only about children Ella plays sports, he is 25 years old. Juice is 22 and Emma 19. Juuso has a three-year-old child, so I’m a grandma, Ringa rejoices.

Ella Junnila is the SE woman in the high jump. Ringa Ropo is a familiar sight at her daughter’s competitions.

Ringa lost her husband, an ex-triple jumper Heikki Hervan, 60, in the spring. He doesn’t want to talk about his recent grief.

– My grief is so private, I don’t want to talk about it. Work helps me move forward, Ropo says and looks ahead.

Ropo and Herva got married in 2022. They lived in Riihimäki.

Herva worked as the administrative manager of the Faculty of Physical Education at the University of Jyväskylä. He had four Finnish championships in the triple jump from the Kaleva Games, the best result of 16.57 was from 1994. Since then, Herva was known as a coach.

At the jumping carnival in Lempäälä, a short memorial service was held in memory of Herva on Saturday before the long jump, triple jump and high jump competitions. The event was attended by SUL’s new chairman, elected to the position in April, an ex-athlete Riikka Pakarinen.

The main competitions for adults at the carnival will be organized in the future in memory of Herva. The competition is now called “Hervan Leiskaust”.