Finland’s Strongest Man had powerful words for students in Kokkola

 

Finland’s Strongest Man, Mika Törrö, has earned his title five years in a row already. And in addition to being a weightlifting champion in the heavy weight class, Mika has many other achievements: he is an inspiring role model with a story that shows all of us that we can always grow and improve.

 

Mika visited Kokkola on August 13th and was greeted by over 600 first-year students of upper secondary education, who came to hear what the Finland’s Strongest Man had to say. The students had been given the opportunity to send questions in advance, and Mika took time to answer these questions during the event.

 

– Every autumn, Ahola organises a road safety day for students in pre-primary and primary education. The aim of the event is to teach children safe traffic behaviour. We wanted to create their own event for the older children, explains Åke Nyblom, CEO of Ahola Transport.

 

 

The fun and welcoming event addressed themes from substance abuse to bullying, guided by Mika’s own story. Mika has grown from a homeless man, who spent years in prison, to a celebrated sports champion.

While Mika’s message to the students is “Don’t do as I did”, his story is an inspiring example of how each of us has the ability to make our own path.

 

First meeting

 

The August speech was by no means the first event for Mika. Ahola organises their annual Trucker’s Evening event for their drivers, where the personnel can spend time together over barbeque.

The Trucker’s Evening of 2020 included special plans: a driver’s gym opened in the Trucker’s Village. The opening of the event was also a little less traditional.

 

– We invited Mika Törrö to the gym opening. Instead of a traditional ribbon cutting, Mika snapped an iron chain with pliers, a suitable show for a transport company, Nyblom laughs.

 

As for the rest of the autumn, the plans include drivers’ nights and visits to Ahola sites.

 

Common values

 

The cooperation between Mika Törrö and Ahola is fuelled by similar core values: transparency, honesty, reliability and equality. As Finland’s Strongest Man, Mika brings his own contribution to wellbeing and health, and has shared his ideas on the importance of exercise and nutrition with Ahola’s drivers.

 

– Mika also has a strong social media presence, and utilises it by speaking up on important themes. We appreciate his way of communicating, says Nyblom.

 

In addition to Mika Törrö, Ahola also supports the entire Finland’s Strongest Man organisation and its members on a larger scale. One of the main attractions of the operations is its relatability.

 

– Finland’s Strongest Man organisation is a model example of supporting each other and building a strong community of “us”. I see a lot of similarities with our operations, Nyblom summarises.