Pole vaulter Wilma Heltelä doesn’t always remember her new last name

Preparation for the off-season did not go as expected. Heltelä suffered a concussion at the beginning of April when the plate bar hit him on the head after an unsuccessful repetition.

“There was a strict four-week rehabilitation period. We got through it. Now things are going well, and there is an upward pressure in training,” Heltelä said remotely at PNG’s press conference.

Heltelä had to take a full week of rest after the operation, during which the progress of the symptoms was monitored. After that, the load was gradually increased.

Load meant not only training load but also concentration, lights and sounds.

“I received instructions that you should find a quiet place to pedal the exercise bike, because the light and sound stimuli increase the load. The rehabilitation of a brain injury was different from what I’m used to. It was interesting and educational and required quite a lot of patience.”

Heltelä says that he was able to maintain his physical ability moderately well during rehabilitation.

“It’s been a couple of weeks of fairly normal training. The goal of the next two weeks is to train as optimally as possible so that I’m ready to compete in PNG. There’s been a little bit of training during the rehabilitation, but there’s still time.”

However, Heltelä is not going to race in Turku at full speed.

“Hopefully, the 12-step stroke would be as good as possible.”

I’m hot the main goal, like many other Finnish athletes, is the European Championships in Birmingham in August.

When it comes to EC goals, he is moderate.

“The goal is to be able to say by the time I go to Birmingham that my goal is a medal. Of course, there have been bumps along the way, and in recent years I’ve learned that you never know, and there may be curveballs. However, I think positively that there are three months until the European Championship finals. There’s plenty of time to do.”

Heltelä jumped 460 at his best in the last administration. His record is 485 jumps in 2022.

“Hopefully, I can get close to the old good results to the better side of 470. I could already be satisfied with 480.”

I’m hot life has changed quite a bit during the winter. She moved from Turku to Helsinki at the beginning of the year and married her musician husband in March. With that, the surname changed.

If using a new last name has been difficult for others, the athlete himself is not yet completely used to his new name.

“This isn’t easy for anyone. It doesn’t come easily to me either, and it’s surprisingly rare to use my full name,” Heltelä admits.

He is not going to be upset, even if someone still uses the old name.

“I probably won’t even notice it myself, since I’m not properly used to the name myself.”

PNG is usually was a home match for Heltela. After the move, the relationship with Turku is more complicated.

“This has been a big identity crisis. I’m wondering if I have the right to feel like I’m from Turku, even though it was my hometown for a long time and I’m Turku of the Year 2022. It also doesn’t feel right to call myself from Helsinki. And I represent a club from Salo. I have no idea what I am,” Heltelä laughs.

Turku-ness is at least strengthened by the fact that a pole vaulter from Turku has joined the technical side of the coaching team Tommi Holttinen.

“He has brought a lot of good things to everyday life. We are both in Helsinki and see each other very often. The cooperation works. Maybe this is a strange arrangement when (Earth) Pitkämäki the frames come remotely from Ostrobothnia and Tommi is present in the daily work, but the combo works. The spirit is positive and appreciative.”