Athlete Profile

Q: What would you say is the most overlooked element of orienteering training and why?
A: I believe the most overlooked aspect of physical training for orienteering is running in natural terrain. My impression is that most orienteers only train on roads and trails when they are not running with a map in their hand. This does not sufficiently develop the physical capacity needed to run in soft terrain, which demands a completely different running economy compared to running on hard surfaces like roads or trails.
Q: What is one thing you really want to work on in 2026?
A: I have dedicated myself to orienteering and trained intensively for more than ten years. Long distance has long been my strongest discipline, but in the upcoming season I want to sharpen my physical and technical focus on middle distance and relay. My goal is to increase my speed in the forest and improve my ability to navigate at high pace and in areas with fewer details.
Q: Describe your overall approach to training for orienteering?
A: I try to seize every opportunity to train in ways that are as relevant to orienteering competitions as possible. My goal is to always practice my navigation habits at high speed. Even during an easy session, I make sure the map scale is large so that the intensity of map reading remains high and demanding.