A concussion put an end to Ekenäs resident Josefina Saarinen’s taekwondo hobby a few years ago. Now she is second in the ranking in Finland in her weight and age class in powerlifting.
– The concussion made me think about my health and I had to stop taekwondo, says Josefina Saarinen, 17 years old.
She suffered the concussion in a match where her focus was not the best.
– I hadn’t eaten enough and was malnourished. Then came punches and kicks to the head.
A year and a half ago, she tried strength training at the gym for the first time. A year ago, she joined Kraftklubben Eken in Ekenäs and started training weightlifting seriously.
– It was not planned that I would become a powerlifter. My father told me that I have quite a lot of strength and then I thought that I will bet on this.
Last May she participated in the SFI championships and immediately did well.
Trains six times a week
Now she trains six times a week. On Thursdays, she leads training for other athletes. Josefina Saarinen is in second year at Ekenäs high school and she also works at the reception in a gym.
– I probably have a pretty tight schedule and sometimes it’s sleep that suffers, she says with a small smile on her face.
A concussion put an end to Josefina’s taekwondo hobby – now she is good at powerlifting
Her powerlifting career has progressed by leaps and bounds. In last year’s ranking, she is second in the country in her weight class (under 76 kilos) and in her age class D18. Among all weight classes in the under-18 age group, she is eighth in Finland.
Josefina Saarinen’s record in the three different moments in powerlifting is really good: Squat 130 kilograms, bench press 80 kg and deadlift 155 kg.
What makes a 17-year-old train six times a week with heavy weights on the barbell?
– Powerlifting is a tough sport, especially when women do it. Powerlifting brings joy to my everyday life. I think it’s pretty cool to be able to lift heavy weights as the short woman I am, she says.
FM competitions in January
Even this year, Josefina Saarinen is competing in the under 18 age group. After that, the competition class will be under 23 years. Still, she is not afraid that the opposition will be much tougher.
– I take it quite easy. I’m getting older myself and have time to train more. The differences in the results between D18 and D23 are not that great.
During the winter, she has two competitions entered in her calendar. Junior FM is organized in Påmark in Satakunda at the end of January. A month later, KK Eken hosts FM in bench press in Ekenäs ball hall.
– Taking a Finnish record this year would be great and raising my personal records, she mentions as short-term goals.
In the longer term, she has a goal that can feel tough:
– I dream of being able to participate in the European Championships, she says.
