Cross-country skier Miro Karppanen not on social media, even though he could make money – mentions receiving support from Kela

Miro Karppanen, 25, has been among Finland's top national cross-country skiers for several years.

He has occasionally shone at the Finnish Championships or the Finnish Cup, celebrating at the finish line.

At the beginning of last season in Ruka, Karppanen achieved his best career result by reaching the top 30 in a World Cup event, which allowed him to compete early in the season in other World Cup races.

However, he has yet to make a definitive breakthrough into the A national team and the World Cup.

Karppanen told Yle Urheilu that he needs to perform well in the first races of the coming season to secure a place in the World Cup.

"That final step up requires hard work. In the right situations, I need to be able to perform perfectly. This situation doesn’t frustrate me because I know that the jump is quite close," he explained.

His confidence stems from completing a successful training season.

"If it doesn't go fast enough at the beginning of the season, it gets considerably tougher to continue if the goal is the World Cup. The A national team's core is a strong group. It's not easy to rise from the national top to there," the skier noted.

"Not a penny extra left over"

Karppanen, who resides and trains in Vuokatti, is fully committed to his sport. He is part of the B national team.

This summer, he spent three weeks at a high-altitude training camp in Livigno, Italy, alongside his training partner Remi Lindholm. Lindholm’s coach Santeri Erola joined them for a week.

"I had to fund this camp entirely myself. I paid for everything: travel, accommodation, and rental vans. But we managed to have a successful training camp," he said.

In Finnish skiing, the financial condition of the Ski Association has been discussed. This coming season, Finland’s top athletes will need to pay 500 euros for every World Cup weekend.

Karppanen indicated that the Ski Association's financial situation does not impact his chances of reaching the top.

He admits, however, that he is in a tight financial situation, having a few sponsors.

"In addition, the club (Imatran Urheilijat) supports me financially quite well. I receive housing support from Kela. This is such a package that just barely lets me sustainably pursue full-time athletics. I don't have a penny extra left over."

Why not on social media?

Few top Finnish skiers are swimming in money, which is why many are finding ways to earn through social media.

For instance, many Finnish athletes make money with advertisements and partnerships on Instagram.

Almost all top Finnish skiers utilize social media for promotions.

Miro Karppanen is an exception; he does not use social media at all.

Karppanen explains that he can’t see himself using social media effectively.

"Social media is a good thing if one knows how to use it and finds the motivation to do it. I am pretty clumsy with it – it doesn’t work at all for me. I’ve thus made the decision not to be on social media at all."

He recognizes the opportunities that social media offers athletes.

“In today’s world, it surely is an important channel for many athletes to get partnerships. Through it, I could gain more visibility for my sponsors. Probably if I am forced at some point, I will have to get active on social media. So far, I haven’t needed to do that."

Who could “force” you to do it?

"Probably if, for instance, an equipment sponsor says I should be there. It might be that at some point I will have the thought that maybe I should try to do it."

Karppanen emphasizes that social media does not come naturally to him. Many others might relate to this as well.

"My content would be pretty average on there. It probably requires a unique style to stand out in the crowd. It doesn’t have to be professional," Karppanen reflects.

A natural strong finish

Karppanen may forgo social media, but he does not compromise on training.

He trains a lot with Remi Lindholm, who is known for his exceptionally high training volumes. Lindholm has been a regular in the World Cup for several years and is approaching the top level.

Karppanen has expressed his enjoyment for intense training.

"Hard training suits me. I can handle hard training well. When I train with Remi, I immediately have an international level gauge beside me."

Karppanen is known for his powerful finishing ability and has medals including Finnish Championship silver and a gold in the team sprint.

For instance, three years ago, Karppanen triumphed in a sprint finish against Joni Mäki at the Finnish Championships.

His clear goal for this season is to gain more consistent access to the World Cup and enhance his base level. He wants to achieve better placements than before.

The Finnish Cup in skiing begins on November 2–3 in Vuokatti. Yle will broadcast the competitions on its channels.

Miro Karppanen representing Imatran Urheilijat trains regularly with Remi Lindholm (left). Photo: Tomi Mäkipää