Niko Anttola, 20, Junior World Champion from Whistler, silver medallist in the relay at the World Championships in Planica, and one of Finland’s most prominent ski talents, has trained in a variety of ways in his childhood. Although he started programmed training at 14, he continued everyday activities such as cycling, games, and golf.

“Niko was very active and did a lot of sports. Generally speaking, any kind of speed is very welcome in training for youngsters. Slow jogging is not good.” 

Anttola also recommends assessing the need for a heart rate monitor for youth under 15. The first heart rate monitor experiment with Niko did not produce the desired results.

“We quickly realized that this was not going to work. Young people cannot train in precise low intensity, threshold, and Vo2 max because the body is still undeveloped, and there are no clear limits. There is either basic or maximum endurance, and the line between the two is blurred. Under 15, I do not encourage focusing on the heart rate.”

Humility towards training and success

Anttola believes that the key to a young athlete’s development is hard work and the belief that your work will pay off. Setting long-term goals and being aware of how much work and time it takes to reach a certain level is good.

Despite their success, moderation and humility have been part of what the Anttolas’ have done. The idea that Niko could become a professional skier has slowly taken shape.

“It is pretty harsh to fall to the reality if you think that you will just take the World champ title at that point. It does not happen that easily, which is why we want to have our feet on the ground.” 

Anttola says that he was not thinking about the World Championships in Planica in the early parts of the winter. However, skiing in the World Championships and winning a medal was, in his words, “a really nice bonus” for his father too.

Planning the training in collaboration between the athlete and the coach

Every year, Niko’s role in planning the training has increased; nowadays, the coach’s role has become more of an observer. Niko has always been interested in his training and has questioned a lot, both his father’s and other coaches’ views.

Anttola believes it is important for the athlete to actively plan the training rather than just implement the training program. 

“This is especially true for adult athletes, and Niko listened to me much more when he was under 16 years old.”

“The involvement of a young athlete is important for learning and self-awareness. If you get the feeling that something is not working for you, you have to be able to bring it up. It probably depends on the athlete, how interested one is in what one is doing, or whether the athlete just expects to get in shape by following the program.”

Anttola’s ski racing background and his role as a wax technician have also been helpful in his coaching. He has completed the highest level of coaching qualification in the Finnish Ski Federation but is still constantly striving to learn and develop as a coach.

“I like to read articles about endurance training, which interest me. It is interesting to think about how different aspects affect training. It is essential to strive to improve as a coach, and I definitely have not learned everything about coaching and training yet.” 

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