Saarinen started cross-country skiing at the age of 2, and adapted an active lifestyle enjoying life and nature. “Skiing brings me closer to nature and it has always been the most natural way of moving for me...” she says. Her main competitor in cross-country skiing and running through childhood was her twin sister Maija. The two sisters were equally good for a long time, and the constant competition was a good motivator for them. Holmenkollen has been a special place for Saarinen’s career moments: she took her first World Cup podium in 30 km in 2003, and her first World Cup victory in 2007 in the same distance. She became a beloved skier amongst the Finnish ski fans after winning 3 gold medals and one bronze in Liberec 2009 – and received the Athlete of the year award in Finland. Last season she suffered her first ever injury in November, a shoulder injury, which meant her first World Cup appearance was not until Davos.

In addition to skiing, Saarinen was active in track and field and did quite well. In 1994 she finished fourth in the national championship in pole vault.

Saarinen’s long-time coach Jarmo Riski retired in 2010, and eventually she started being more responsible about her training having some new coaches as her mentors. After one exhausting season she felt she wanted to have a personal coach again, and eventually started cooperation with Ismo Hämäläinen, who was Finnish ladies team coach 2002-6.

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She has 3 sisters, two older ones and her twin sister Maija, who also made appearances at World Cup races and became a good middle distance runner later on. The twins have teamed up successfully to win at Finnish nationals in team sprint & relay for their club.

Saarinen is engaged to Tom Gustafsson, who is a former Finnish national league basketball player.

Saarinen loves picking berries and mushrooms. She is a student at the University of Lapland, majoring in marketing, although her studies are on hold at the moment, as Saarinen prefers to focus on one thing at the time.