Successful athletes from Tuusula were honoured once again
The Tuusula Culture and Leisure Committee honoured successful athletes in 2024. The traditional awards ceremony was held on Tuesday, 4 February 2025, in Halosenniemi.
Akseli Keskinen from Tuusulanjärven Purjehtijat was awarded the title of best athlete in the general series. Keskinen came seventh in the Paris Olympics.
The Blue Rings women’s ringette team, which won the Finnish championship, was awarded the prize for best team.
Aino Kokko, winner of the European Championship in competitive cheerleading, was awarded the prize for best junior.
Titta Sillman was named Best Senior Athlete, winning silver medals in both weightlifting and pole vaulting in the women’s 45–49 age group.
The Sports and Exercise Recognition Award was presented to Special Ice, a joint initiative by KJT Hockey and Blue Rings. Special Ice commendably promotes equality by offering physical activities to children and young people with disabilities, illnesses, other functional impairments or social situations that make it challenging for them to participate in guided physical activities.
The rewards committee awarded scholarships for success to all junior athletes and the recipient of the recognition award. Scholarships were also awarded to the best team and the best athlete in the general series for their success. As is tradition, Kuljetus R. Stenvall also donated scholarships to the athletes and the recipient of the recognition award.
The awards were presented by Mayor Kalle Ikkelä and Laura Vaarnas, a member of the awards committee. The event was hosted by Eero Jauhiainen, a young entrepreneur from Tuusula, and participants were also treated to a performance by pianist Tuomas Alatalo, who studies at the Central Uusimaa Music Institute.
Candidates by category 2024
Juniors
Robert Bollström, Tuusulanjärven Purjehtijat ry (Tuusulanjärvi Sailing Club)
- Third place in the national cadet series for Optimist dinghies in the 2024 season
- First place in the Optimist dinghy cadet series. The competition was sailed in conjunction with the Optimist dinghy Finnish Championships.
Silja Filenius, HIFK Athletics
Finnish Championship gold medalist in the N17 400 m, Finnish Championship silver medalist in the N17 200 m, winner of the Swedish Youth Match in the 400 m
Tara Hallia, Järvenpää Swimming Club
Short course age group championships T14:
Gold in the 100 m freestyle Long course age group championships T14
Bronze in the 100 m butterfly
Teo Hallia, Järvenpää Swimming Club
Short course age group championships:
Gold in the P11 age group in the 50 m breaststroke
Mila Heikkonen, HIFK
U20 World Championships 6th place 400 m hurdles
U20 SE 100 m hurdles 13.20
Matias Heinonen, Kerava Skating Club
Finnish Junior Championship 2024
Aino Kokko, Golden Spirit, Whitelighters
2024 competition success in the junior all-girl cheerleading series:
European Championship
World Championship silver medal
Helmi Käkelä, Järvenpää Swimming Club
Finnish Junior Champion: 50 m breaststroke (30 June 2024)
Finnish Junior Championships: 100 m breaststroke, 2nd place (29 June 2024)
Eevi Leppänen, football, PK-35 Vantaa
1. TU17 national team, silver medal in the open
PM tournament 2. Selection for all national team events in the football age group during the season that has just ended
Elea Leppänen, athletics, KU-58
Youth Athletics Games 2024, bronze medal in the T13 high jump
Youth Athletics Games 2024, silver in the 4×60 m hurdle relay and 4×600 m relay in the T13 series
Nuutti Leppänen, Central Uusimaa Athletics Association
Four Finnish championships: e.g. outdoor track; boys 16 series 110 m hurdles and 400 m hurdles
Roel Luostarinen, Järvenpää Weightlifters
Boys’ freestyle wrestling U17 Finnish Championship gold medal in the 51 kg category
Rosanda Luostarinen, Järvenpää Powerlifters
Girls’ freestyle wrestling U15 Finnish Championship gold medal in the 46 kg category
Jooa Mitsui / Orbea Enduro Team Finland / Korson Kaiku ry / Club Tornari ry
Finnish Mountain Bike Enduro Championship P15 and Finnish Cup stage victories
Lassi Niemi, Kerava athletes rowing
1. Finnish Championship gold medal in small boat rowing, 30 km, under 23 age group
2. Kaukajärvi Finnish Championship sprint and normal distance Finnish Championship competitions in small boats, a total of 6 Finnish Championship gold medals
Eetu Pekkala, Keravan Urheilijat and Pallokerho Keski-Uusimaa
Silver Medal in cross-country skiing (Finnish Championships for 13–16-year-olds) P14, gold in traditional sprint and free 5 km skiing
Also selected for the Tähtitarha football team for 14-year-old boys
Elias Risku, Keravan Urheilijat
Medium distance SM gold U23 10,000 m
Wooden boat sprint rowing SM competitions U23, several championships in pair and relay rowing
Fiona Soininen, Elise Järvenpää Gymnastics and Sports Club
SM bronze medal in rhythmic gymnastics duo/trio Juniors A series
Simo Tähtinen, Järvenpää Kehäkarhut Association
2 Kickboxing World Cup wins in the 71 kg category, Kickboxing European Cup silver in the 71 kg category, Boxing
Finnish Championship silver in the 71 kg category
Maisa Uutela, Tuusula Skaters
Representative of the national youth team. Junior Finnish Championships: 9th place
General series
Noora Häkkinen, Helsinki Athletics Cheerleaders (HAC) Elite, Women’s Junior National Team
European Championship for Women, World Championship silver medal in the women’s junior series
Akseli Keskinen, Tuusulanjärven Purjehtijat ry (Tuusulanjärvi Sailing Club)
- 7th place in the Nacra 17 class at the Paris Olympics. The Nacra 17 team of Sinem Kurtbay and Akseli Keskinen achieved the best Finnish result in sailing at the Games.
- 7th place in the Nacra 17 class at the World Championships
Arttu Leppänen, Tuusulanjärven Purjehtijat ry (Tuusulanjärvi Sailing Club)
European and Finnish Championship gold medalist in the Lightning class. Arttu Leppänen sailed as a crew member in a team whose other members were Lauri Virtanen (crew) and Matti Aalto (skipper) from Tuusulanjärven Purjehtijat.
Jaakko Ranta, biathlete
Representative of the Finnish national team in Ah. 5th place in the World Cup team competition.
Teams
Blue Rings, ringette
Women’s SM gold
Seniors
Johan Engström, Tuusula Swimming Club
Gold medal in all backstroke events (50, 100 and 200 SU) in the 45-49 age group at the Masters Championships (Oulu, 25-27 October 2024)
Kari Hassinen, Nurmijärven moottorikerho ry
MXV60 Finnish Cup 2nd place
Pasi Huuhtanen, Tuusulan moottorikerho / Old Crows Sidecar Team
Nordic Championship Classic Road Racing 8D sidecars 2024
Nordisk Open silver 2024
Riikka Majander, Järvenpää Swimming Club
Masters championship swimming, multiple championships in the N40-44 series
Titta Sillman, Helsinki Herakles and Helsinki Kisa-Veikot
Weightlifting Masters World Championship silver medal in the women’s 45–49 age group, under 64 kg
Pole vault Masters World Championship silver medal in the women’s 45–49 age group
Recognition Award for Physical Activity and Sport
Special Ice, KJT Hockey Association and Blue Rings Association
Special Ice is a joint initiative by KJT Hockey ry and Blue Rings ry for children and young people with special needs who, due to disability, illness, other functional limitations or social circumstances, find it difficult to participate in mainstream sports activities.
The activities are intended for girls and boys aged 7–15 and are free of charge for participants. The coaches are qualified education professionals who are accustomed to working with a wide range of children and young people.
Tuusulanjärven Purjehtijat, sailing training on Lake Tuusulanjärvi
Tuusulanjärven Purjehtijat has been organising sailing courses for young people and adults since 1990. Children’s sailing camps have been organised since the 1970s. The club organises weekly Tuesday races, which form a unique competition series lasting the entire season.
The club also has sailors who have won European championships and European Championship medals. Our sailors have also won medals at World Championships. Three sailors from Tuusulanjärven Purjehtijat have become Olympic sailors, the most recent being Akseli Keskinen.
The club’s long-standing hobby activity developers Matti Innala, Esko Aalto and Sakari Pesola have served as chairmen of Tuusulanjärven Purjehtijat and as active members of the club’s board for several years.
Tuusulan Veivarit / Tervaskannot, Timo Ruoko
Timo Ruoko, who is still a member of the Veivareiden nestoriryhmä (Tuusula Veterans Group) in Tervaskannot, implemented a pilot project in 2024 largely on his own initiative, which was aimed at senior ice hockey players and was called Takaisin jäälle & Lätkää läpi elämän (Back on the Ice & Ice Hockey Through Life). The project was implemented through webinars, expert presentations and peer discussions among the participants. Timo’s active approach and perseverance yielded good results, and the project gained partners such as the Finnish Heart Association, the Finnish Ice Hockey Association and the municipality of Tuusula.
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