Orienteering NSW is pleased to announce our inaugural scholarship holder: Atte Lahtinen.Atte is 22 and from Espoo, a city right next to Finland's capital Helsinki.
He started orienteering at age seven and has competed in eight Jukola races and six Tiomila relays. Atte lists his best achievement as winning Ungdomens 10mila in 2012, a 10-leg night relay for ages 13-18. His Finnish club is Helsingin Suunnistajat, one of the largest orienteering clubs in the world.
"In civilian life I am an Information Technology student in Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. I come from an orienteering family - my dad is president of our club. In my free time I like to follow NFL, NHL and NBA, and learn or find out about all kinds of things. I speak three languages and try to learn fourth," said Atte.
"I enjoy generally helping people and seeing the development in progress. Four years ago I dreamed about an opportunity like the scholarship, and now it's all getting real. Travelling to Australia has also been a dream of mine, and now I can do it the best way possible: doing what I love the most, and living with "normal" people, because that is how you truly experience a country."
Atte is expected to arrive in September and will spend six months living with orienteering families across the state. We thank all the hosts for their generous offers to house Atte.
Pic credit: Kimmo Hirvonen.
