Where It All Began
Some things follow us through life, even if we only understand their meaning years later. For me, that thing is water.
When I began writing this blog series, my intention wasn’t just to tell a story about swimming. I wanted to open a door into who I am behind Vedessä: the journey, the experiences, and the emotions that led me to teach adults to swim and help them find their own safe haven in the water.
This is the first part of a three‑part series. In this chapter, I return to the beginning: to the time when everything started, even though I didn’t know it yet.
A Childhood Where Water Felt Like Home
I can’t remember a time when water wasn’t part of my life. From baby swimming onward, the pool was a place where I felt light and safe. I was an active child and tried many hobbies, dance, gymnastics, baseball , but they all faded after a short while. Nothing truly felt like mine.
Except water.
In the water, I could simply be. I didn’t have to explain myself or try to be anything else. I could focus on one thing: movement, breathing, and the feeling of moving forward.
Life on land wasn’t always as easy. I started school at a young age, at six. I repeated a grade and was diagnosed with dyslexia and spatial perception difficulties. I was bullied for my glasses — the thick, very 90s kind. I was sensitive and often unsure of myself. But in the water, all of that disappeared. There, I felt strong. I was trusted, too — I travelled to practices independently from a young age.
Competitive Swimming and the First Pause
I started competitive swimming around the age of eight. I wasn’t the fastest or the most competitive, but I loved the training. I loved the feeling of water carrying me and my mind settling into calm. I learned new skills, swam in groups, and collected small moments of success.
But after fifth grade, I couldn’t pass the skill tests required to move to the next group. It felt like I was stuck, no matter how hard I tried. It was the first time water didn’t carry me forward. A door closed — though I didn’t yet know another one was already opening.
Synchronized Swimming – The Perfect Union of Music and Water
When I discovered synchronized swimming, it felt like stepping into a new world. It wasn’t just swimming; it was music, rhythm, and movement woven together. My family was very musical, and music played a big part of my childhood. I sang, played the piano, and even dreamed of becoming a piano teacher in third grade. The seed of teaching was already there, even if I didn’t recognize it yet.
Synchronized swimming brought together the two things I loved most: water and music. It felt perfect. I learned new figures, rhythms, and choreographies. I challenged myself and experienced a kind of joy and progress I hadn’t found in any other sport. I advanced quickly, and every practice felt like I was exactly where I belonged.
But at that time, synchronized swimming wasn’t very popular in Oulu. The group grew smaller each year until I was the only one left. I wanted to continue, but my health didn’t allow it. Menière’s attacks forced me to stop, and I had to leave the sport with a heavy heart.
It left a mark I carried for a long time. And perhaps that’s why water called me back later, in a way I couldn’t have imagined back then.
A Quiet Pause Before a New Beginning
Even when I wasn’t swimming, I never forgot the water. It was like a patient friend waiting for me. I didn’t yet know that I would return to it in a new way, a way that would eventually reshape the direction of my life.
This blog series is about that journey. About how water has been my safe haven, my teacher, and ultimately the foundation of my work. In the next part, I’ll share how life pushed me ashore, and how I found my way back.
My journey continues in the next post. Come and see how my journey in and alongside water continues and changes its form.
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