Elite athlete student's Metropolia blog

Metropolia’s sports team organized a networking event for student athletes in connection with the MetroSport event, in collaboration with METKA. The aim of the meeting was to strengthen the sense of community among student athletes and highlight opportunities for combining sports and higher education studies. The event featured presentations from Urhea, the Finnish Olympic Committee, and Metropolia alumna Essi Sainio. Tuuli Merikoski and Juha Dahlström introduced Urhea’s activities and the support available for athletes pursuing dual careers. Their presentations emphasized that studies can play an important role in supporting an athlete’s overall well-being and provide balance alongside sports. Opportunities for flexibly combining sports and higher education studies were also highlighted. Jukka Tirri from the Finnish Olympic Committee presented the Quality Framework for Elite Sports Friendly Higher Education Institutions (HUMKK) and the objectives of the network. Metropolia was awarded the HUMKK quality label in autumn 2025. The audit identified strengths including student guidance services, the support services provided by HyMy Village, and a strong commitment to developing opportunities for student athletes to pursue dual careers. Areas for further development included strengthening networking opportunities and peer support for student athletes. Participants also heard from Metropolia alumna and former student athlete Essi Sainio, who shared experiences of combining higher education studies with elite sports. In the presentation, Essi highlighted the importance of flexible and knowledgeable guidance, understanding of different life situations, and support in balancing sports and studies. Networking events are one concrete way to strengthen peer support among student athletes, increase awareness of the opportunities Metropolia offers to student athletes, and promote the culture of an athlete-friendly higher education institution.