Krista Pärmäkoski Opens Up About Her Struggles – Is There a Need for Another Crisis Meeting in the National Team?

Krista Pärmäkoski, a star skier, shares her experiences with mental health medication and therapy. The feedback from her recent autobiography, which features bold revelations, did not come as a surprise to her.

During the summer training camp in Vuokatti, she realized that continuing her skiing career after difficult times was still worthwhile.

The book 'Open' was released on Wednesday, written by Yle Sports reporter Laura Arffman and published by Gummerus. Many readers were surprised by her honest discussions about psychological challenges and the less-than-ideal work atmosphere within the women's national ski team.

Pärmäkoski expressed, "I anticipated that these themes would come up. If my openness can help someone else with similar issues, then I've succeeded. Writing the book was also a learning process for me. I've learned that discussing dark and difficult issues can ease one's burden."

Currently, her condition is significantly better compared to the previous year, although she continues her treatment. Pärmäkoski revealed, "I attend therapy regularly and I use mood stabilizers if deemed necessary by my doctor."

The emotional toll of her divorce has also impacted her, as her ex-husband Tommi Pärmäkoski played a significant role in her coaching. Now, professional coaches from the national team handle her physical training, and a sports institute oversees her long-term health monitoring.

Pärmäkoski noted that sports autobiographies often differ based on whether they are written during the athlete's career or afterward. Nonetheless, she maintains that the continuation of her career has not influenced the book's content. The book includes only brief mentions of competitors, like Therese Johaug's doping case, as she felt it wasn't relevant to her story.

Previously, when Aino-Kaisa Saarinen's autobiography was released in 2016, it spurred a crisis meeting in the national team due to its bold approach. However, Pärmäkoski does not believe another crisis meeting is necessary now, emphasizing that it has been about addressing issues rather than personal disputes among team members, and she feels team spirit is currently good.

Regarding her past treatment by the national team after she chose to skip the A national team for the 2019-2020 season, Pärmäkoski admitted, "It felt bad. But since then, many others have similarly opted out without drama. We seem to have all grown."

As part of her writing process, Pärmäkoski read the Finnish versions of both Marit Bjørgen's and Johaug's biographies. Her next literary endeavor will be Sami Jauhojärvi's upcoming biography, set to be released in November. Krista Pärmäkoski also discusses the team spirit among female skiers in her book.