Tuuli Merikoski

Tuuli Sisko Merikoski
Born November 22, 1967 Tampere

Executive Masters in Sports Organization Management (MEMOS) 2007, University of Lyon
Specialist Qualification in Management 2001, Sport Institute of Finland
Master of Arts 1998 (general linguistics), University of Helsinki

Director of development for top-level sport education 2011–, Helmi Business and Travel College, Helsinki
Expert advisor on dual career planning for athletes 2001–11, Finnish Olympic Committee
Executive director 1999–2011, Cultural and Sports Association of Finnish Vocational Education and Training, SAKU
Sports secretary 1998, Cultural and Sports Association of Finnish Vocational Education and Training, SAKU
Top athlete 1987–94, Finnish Athletics Federation

Board of the Finnish Olympic Committee 2012–
Chairman of the board 2014–, Finnish Foundation for the Promotion of Athletes’ Professional Education
Board member 2014–, Urhea Foundation , Metropolitan Sports Academy
Board member 1998– Tampereen Pyrintö basketball team

Numerous expert lectures and workshops in sports and educational organisations, many articles on combining sport and study and athletes’ career planning.

Publications:
“Dual Career in Finland” in the book Sport, Education and Training in Europe. A dual career for a dual life. 2015.

“Urheiluakatemiasta tukea opiskeluun ja huippu- urheiluun. Akatemioiden tarjoamia mahdollisuuksia ei vielä ole täysin oivallettu (‘Support from the sports academy for study and top-level sport. The opportunities offered by sports academies have yet to be fully appreciated’)” (Together with Jari Lämsä and Asko Härkönen) Liikunta & Tiede 2-3/2009

Memorandum of the working group investigating the financial situation of student athletes, Ministry of Education 2004

“Onnellisen naisen paluu” (Return of the happy woman) in the work Juoksun hurma ja tuska. suomalaisen kestävyysjuoksun kuva (‘The ecstasy and the agony of running. A portrait of Finnish long-distance running’) 1994.

Finnish women’s 800m record (2:00.59) 1991, still standing

Photo: Anu Laitila
Written by Tuuli Merikoski and Olli Siitonen (ed.)
Translated by Matthew Billington

Current Career at the Helmi Business and Travel College

After ten extraordinary years as the advisor on study and career planning on the Finnish Olympic Committee, I felt that for the time being I had given all I had to give in developing the nationwide support structure for athletes. I am wont to reinvent myself, but it felt like my mind was running in circles. I missed the activity that takes placed at the grassroots level. At the same time, the Malmi based Helmi Business and Travel College, which for years had done great work in sports and education, was looking for someone to develop their sports programme. I applied, and that was the beginning of my career at Helmi. The College is a private vocational institution that trains professionals in the fields of business and travel. Sports are one of the strategic interests of the College, and their sports programme offers an excellent path for young athletes who want to combine competitive sports at the highest level with vocational education. Helmi also offers a programme for those interested in the business aspects of sports: a double diploma in collaboration with the Mäkelänrinne upper secondary school. At the end of 2014, the Ministry of Education and Culture granted Helmi the status of a national sporting institute, charged with providing vocational education for athletes. In practice, this status creates an even closer connection between the College and the Finnish Olympic Committee and the Metropolitan Sports Academy. Through this connection highly qualified coaching, expertise and support services will be at the disposal of the students.

The change did me good. My years of expertise in career planning for athletes was improved and sharpened when I was able to put it to use in a new environment. The new job also brought with it new skills to be learned and many new connections with experts. The eight member multidisciplinary team that I lead works hard and takes advantage of innovative methods to help young athletes forge ahead in their studies as well as in their athletic careers.

By Written by Tuuli Merikoski (Olli Siitonen ed.), translated by Tomi Setälä, revised by Matthew Billington