Professional cross-country skier Emmi Lämsä kicked off her training season in late April 2025 with a strength-focused period, and by May Day the season was fully underway. The competition season, in turn, concluded at the Finnish Championships in Inari on April 10–12, 2026, making the 2025/26 season for Emmi an almost full calendar year in length.
Training camps and preparation
When the skis are set aside for a moment and the focus shifts toward a new training season, it’s a good time to pause and look back at everything the past year has included.
The year featured three training camps abroad: in May in the warmth of Mallorca, in July at altitude in Livigno, and in September under the sun in Torrevieja with the team. In addition, our club, AT Ski Team, organised several camps in Rovaniemi throughout the year, which also served as an important training base. I also completed several training blocks in the landscapes of Ylläs.
A great indicator of recovery and performance were the Via Tribunali roller ski and mountain running races held in Ylläs in July. These events have been part of my programme for several years now, making them an excellent way to track my development from year to year. On the first day, we raced uphill on roller skis, and on the second day, we ran from Ylläskaltio to the summit of Ylläs fell. After the races, I spent a few lighter days in Ylläs focusing on basic endurance training and enjoying the summer.
Later in the autumn, I headed back to Ylläs. The fall foliage had painted the landscape in stunning colours, and the fell nature once again offered its very best. The trip included tough uphill bounding sessions, running workouts, and skiing on the early-season snow in Levi.
A winter full of lessons and ski classics experiences
The competition season included plenty of ups and downs. Cross-country skiing is a sport where many factors influence success, and that was clear again this season. In the end, however, it became one of the most memorable seasons of my career.
The winter stood out for its unusual conditions: in Ylläs, natural snow trails were available as early as mid-November, while elsewhere thicker snow cover took longer to arrive. The season also included periods of intense cold as well as a rapid warming in spring. Between the Finnish Cup races in Olos and Ruka, I also had the chance to ski on Ylläs’ stunning natural snow tracks
The season also included two two-week Ski Classics trips to Central Europe. Race distances ranged from 45 to 70 kilometres, and the long competitions especially developed my double poling capacity and endurance.
After the mountainous landscapes of Central Europe, Finland’s snow-laden forests and crisp winter skies felt almost unreal. Between competitions, I also managed to spend time in Ylläs, enjoying the beauty of winter.
Maybe one winter the Finnish Championships and the Ylläs–Levi Ski Marathon won’t fall on the same weekend, so I could experience that amazing route at race pace myself—perhaps entirely double poling.
A strong finish and the highlight of the season
The final part of the season went extremely well. At the Finnish Cup in Rovaniemi, I placed third in the 20 km mass start race in freestyle. After a challenging early season, the result felt especially rewarding. Following the races in Rovaniemi, I headed to Ylläs one more time to complete my final preparations before the Finnish Championships in Inari.
Around Easter, the trails were filled with skiers and the slope-side cafés were buzzing with activity. It was great to see how many people were enjoying the best moments of the spring skiing season and Ylläs’ fantastic tracks. Alongside my own race preparations, I also gave three ski technique lessons for different groups and shared tips with skiers out on the trails. These encounters stayed with me in a positive way and brought me a lot of joy as well.
The final championship weekend ultimately went better than I had expected. Classical technique has been more challenging for me, so finishing fifth on the opening day felt like a strong performance. On the final day, I achieved something even more meaningful. A personal Finnish Championship bronze in the 30 km classical race, my first individual national medal in eight years. It was a perfect way to conclude the 2025/26 season!
-Emmi Lämsä