HULKKO Ida

General
US COLLEGE STINT
She spent time studying and training at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL, United States of America, before cutting short her time there short and returning to Finland. "I could not be myself and others did not understand my outspoken actions. Many were playing sports at half measures and it was hard to fit into a group where you want to operate at full power. I learned that you should not just go with the group because others are going, but really think for yourself and question things. I'm kind of selfish, and I think an athlete has to be." (swimcloud.com, 17 May 2021; yle.fi, 13 May 2021)

MOST IMPORTANT TOOL
In July 2021 she posed naked in the Finnish publication Helsingin Sanomat. "Here it is. Uncovered and real. Not perfect but does its job pretty well. The most important tool for an athlete is his or her own body. Decades of work leave their mark. Muscles as well as broad shoulders attract the most attention among co-workers. To me, they tell me about all the hours full of pain and vomiting I've spent in the pool and will be spending.
It's not easy to undress and stand without the slightest hiding place. The sport is raw and each race performance is the sum of the puzzle pieces. But at the same time, every performance and the ensuing debate is a mirror of society." (Instagram profile, 04 Jul 2021; iltalehti.fi, 03 Jul 2021)