Once she was the main princess of figure skating. With her natural beauty, charm and gentle images on ice, she fell many people all over the world in love with her sport. Kiira Korpi has 5 titles of the champion of the country, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals of the European Championship. For little Finland this is a storehouse. But the point is not in statistics, but in image and energy. Kiira no wonder used to shine on the covers of glossy magazines. Since the time «Fay of the North» ended her career, she managed to move overseas, get married, star in a movie about the legendary Sonya Heni and write a revelation book about big sport. I have talked to Kiira Korpi about her sporting life and new interests.
The original interview is here, and today I publish the English version. Here are part 1 and part 3 of the interview in English.
About life after sports
- The story about you in Wikipedia ends with the fact that in August 2015 you decided to leave big sport. But life goes on. How do you live the last 4 years?
- The first two years I performed a lot in ice shows – in Europe, the USA, Japan and even Brazil. Yes, yes, people there also watch skaters. Favorite programs that I perform on the show: «Ave Maria» and hip-hop dance. I also comment on major tournaments on Finnish television, I worked for the Olympics in Korea in this capacity. I had short-term creative projects: I acted in films and tried myself in the role of a «Formula-1» racer in a reality show. I also sometimes train children and lovers, give choreography lessons. When you are successful in one area for a long time, it is difficult to find another passion. Therefore, my current activity is still related to figure skating.
- You also get higher education.
- I started doing this at home in Tampere: I studied economics at the university. Due to the sports schedule, I did not have time to finish university. But, fortunately, the Finnish university program was recognized at the USA Department of Education, and I transferred to «The New School» in New York. I study at the Faculty of Liberal Arts and next spring I must get a bachelor’s degree. Then I’ll go to magistracy to study psychology. I am interested in the relationship of people in professional sports, models of behavior. Now I research all this from a scientific point of view, read articles and monographs, conduct surveys among coaches and athletes.
- Why did you move to the USA?
- For my beloved. We met 10 years ago through mutual friends in Finland. Arthur is half Finnish and half Spanish. For a long time, while I was skating, we had a relationship at a distance. Finishing with sports, I went to Milan, where Arthur lived. And 3 years ago he was offered a good job in the fashion industry in New York, and we settled there – in an apartment overlooking Manhattan. We got married last spring and are very happy together.
- Congratulations, Kiira! How are your parents and sister?
- Parents have long been retired. Mom worked for many years as a teacher in elementary school. Dad, although he doesn’t train, often shares his experience with young coaches and leaders of the hockey team. He gives consultation seminars. Petra lived with us in New York for a year, then returned home. Now she has her own business in Helsinki – a social communications platform.
- Do you often visit your native Finland?
- Several times a year. Usually I plan a schedule for working projects, and as soon as I get free, I just relax with my family. The other time I keep in virtual touch with relatives and friends in Finland. I miss them in America, and I miss nature in Finland.
Curse of Olympic wealth
- You played in the Norwegian movie about the star of the world figure skating Sonia Henie. How did you get the invitation?
- Oh, did you recognize me on the screen? (smiles) The film is Norwegian, and the producers were looking for a skater with an appropriate appearance. The Scandinavian type was important. Choreographer Katarina Lindgren, involved in the filming, called me with an invitation. I gladly agreed to play Sonya – such a bright, extraordinary personality. It was very difficult to embody the image: although at the time of Sonya there was no difficult technique, but this is such a skating style ... retro, it is important to feel it. I watched all of Henie’s existing video-recordings to understand her soul.
- Perhaps you have thoroughly studied the biography of the great Sonia Henie. She had such bright sports victories and records, which opened wide opportunities. Cinematograph, fabulous fees, fame, love of fans... Why, do you think, Sonia took this advantage illiterally: destroyed health and reputation, quarreled with relatives and producers?
- I think Sonia’s success became her curse. A great person is difficult and unpredictable, as a rule. When you are the best in your sphere and the whole world admires you, it crushes. The champion had everything, but she wanted more and therefore was unhappy. She could not stop, could not control her possibilities. It seemed to her that the barrel was bottomless. It is a pity, that she wasn’t able to switch energy to other good areas of life (family), to stop in time and descend to people! You know, when I had victories, fame, sponsors, meetings with the president, fans ... I had what many dreamed about. But I often felt sad, I wanted to exchange everything for female happiness. And now I know many people from sports world, who are outwardly successful and surrounded by friends. But if you look at the person as a whole, he will be alone, like Heny. It is important to fulfil your life correctly.
- Perhaps you spoke with relatives of Sonia Henie, preparing for the movie? They could tell you some interesting things about her life that aren’t in the Internet.
- Honestly, I don’t want to disclose facts that were not included in the script of the film. Moreover, I focused on skating. Watch the movie, there is an image of Sonya. I know for sure, that her relatives appreciated the result.
- What were your emotions on the day of the film’s premiere in Norway?
- Unfortunately, I could not attend in person – I passed exams at the university. I was excited to know how my skating looked on the screen, because this is my first and so far the only big experience in the cinema. After the premiere I received from the audience a lot of good feedback on social networks. The film was also shown in Finland, people liked it. So, everything was not in vain.