Satu Takamaa is not a fan of high heels – or at least it wasn’t.
He told that comment to Iltalehti in 2016. However, his mind changed, because now Fairytale Backcountry owns a pair of high heels.
However, the bet is completely sporty.
It’s not about running, even in that sport Fairytale Backcountry took second place in the very tough Red Bull 400 uphill race organized in Suurmäki in Lahti last month. It’s about fitness sports.
Last weekend, Takamaa won the overall wellness fitness championship at the Nordic Fitness Expo in Lahti. Previously, she has achieved Finnish championships in the muscular Womens physique series.
The change has been big. Both sports involve posing, but previously Takamaa did it with bare toes, now with high heels.
– I had never owned high heels, but I practiced walking in them all summer. Actually, they are quite sturdy, he laughs.
“Fifty-fifty”
Satu Takamaa (left) will represent Finland at the World Championships. Before this fall, he had won three Finnish championships in the physique series. Tommi Mankki
In terms of evaluation criteria, wellness fitness has clearly distinguished itself from, for example, bikini, bodysuit and physique, because the condition did not have to be as strenuous.
– My coach and my husband are also thinking about this Tomi Takamaan with. It felt like anything could happen. It was not really known what that policy was. Am I too muscular or too tight to be punished for it. It was fifty-fifty whether I would do really well or really badly. In the end, the winners of all the height categories were in pretty close shape to mine, so the alignment is going in this direction, says Satu Takamaa.
– I set out to get at least third place in my height category and a place in the World Championships, so that’s why winning the overall competition felt incredible and I’m really happy about it.
The starting points were not the best possible, because the training races in Tallinn two weeks before the Expo were a flop.
The duo came backstage six hours too early, the make-up didn’t work and the performance was awkward. Despite everything, the ranking was third in its own height category.
– Before Lahti, I went to pose coaching to develop my performance. I think I succeeded very well in that. I also did a lot of mental imagery training. It was amazing that everything went so well in the end.
– Acquaintances said that I’m crazy to change sports, when the Women’s physique suits me so well, but I also want to be successful abroad. I have looked at the training and fitness photos of international wellness competitors and I think I can answer that.
Legs fine
Satu Takamaa had time to take a four-year competitive break from fitness sports. He was already of the opinion that he would not get on the competition stage again, but last year’s SC games watched online brought a new spark. Tommi Mankki / NFE
Satu Takamaa was actively involved in endurance sports when he was younger and also ran a couple of marathons. He has also always liked to train his legs in the gym.
– That’s why wellness was chosen as my new sport, because it’s where I can especially show off the muscles in my legs. Since I like to train them, why not choose a sport where they are valued?
Endurance and strong legs are also a great help in uphill running, because in the tough race on Lahti’s suurmäki, tourists do not grab the top places.
– I have experienced that the sports support each other very well. I’ve always liked to run and do a lot of aerobic training, says Takamaa.
– In the gym, good oxygen uptake affects the fact that I am able to do harder workouts thanks to my endurance.
Even the competition diet was amazingly easy this time, even though the weight dropped by nine kilos.
– It felt like the whole summer went by just playing. Of course, there were the basic frameworks for eating, but for example once a week Tom and I went to a restaurant.
– I have been able to live really freely.
In the video below, Satu Takamaa talks about the competitions of the last few weeks.