The July sunshine was scorching, but occasional showers and gentle breezes cooled things down. It was the perfect time to look back so I could move forward again.
I was hiking in the terrain around Ruka Mountain, and the weather was more than suitable for 15–20 kilometer walks. The Vuosselli outdoor trails are safe and easy to hike, and I was already familiar with the area from last summer’s cycling trips. The calm and deep forest scent was fresh after the rain. The most prominent aroma I sensed was that of cloudberry, which was blooming as white as sheets on another patch of land. I had set out for the day’s hike, and the sun was kind to my journey. I also enjoyed how the clouds and gentle winds cooled things just right.
In addition to the sounds of nature, a story was being told in my ears through Martin Rooney’s book Coach To Coach – An Empowering Story About How to Be a Great Leader. The book’s stories took me away, and the Golden Rules rose straight to the TOP—my favorite. I especially appreciated how an experienced coach shared lessons through stories to a young coach. The book beautifully explains that coaching is something you do with someone, not something you do to someone else. The perspective on the coach’s role and its broad outlook was very appealing.
You, my blog readers, might also see your own coaching role in this. Whether you’re a sports coach, teacher, parent, coworker, supervisor, or boss, the invaluable lessons from Coach To Coach are designed to help you understand your own importance as a coach—and as a fellow human.
How did this Coach to Coach book find me? I paused to take a breath at Korpikahvila and took a short break from my hike and listening. I also noticed families leaving Ruka village to start their bike ride along this trail. They all stopped at a rest spot, and we greeted each other with smiles and laughter. We exchanged a few words, and I left them to their snack break. Now the sun has come out and is warming enough for me to take a sip from my water bottle and lighten my clothing. My long-sleeved shirt goes into my backpack. I start to reflect on how exactly this book ended up with me on this trek. In my mind, I make a little list of where I get book recommendations and tips.
Sometimes it’s interesting to look back on one’s path and notice the moment when I heard or observed a small tip, an area of enthusiasm, a coach, or even a book. I am grateful when I notice these small steps and inspiring people. The team coaching circle is a part of my life, and we team coaches recommend books to each other. We also have our own book circle, the Friends of Dialogue, which meets once a month. So far, we have read, analyzed, and discussed books about team coaching, team leadership, dialogue, and thinking. Recently, we delved into Daniel Kahneman’s book Thinking, Fast and Slow. Every month, we also receive a book recommendation from the Team Coach Arena. But the recommendation for Coach to Coach didn’t come from team coaches or my teaching colleagues.
This Coach to Coach book recommendation came from a different direction— from the gym, specifically from Training For Warriors, by an entrepreneur and coach, Tuomas Vaittinen. After morning workouts in autumn 2023, I heard that Martin Rooney, the founder and creator of the entire TFW concept, was coming to Joensuu. WHAT? I thought, and I got excited. Tuomas asked if I had read Martin Rooney’s books. Nope, I hadn’t. I didn’t even know he wrote books. Tuomas recommended Martin Rooney’s books to me, one of which is Coach to Coach.
The whole story and the first spark of light on my path brought a smile to my face. My wanderings took me back several years. That’s another story— how I eventually ended up training at the TFW gym. As I hike, I wonder how two different things, or rather several different things, connect on life’s paths. Things that happen through work, the people around us, hobbies, health, and family. Ultimately, everything is interconnected.
I’ll start the story from this moment, which I don’t believe is the end of my story. First, I want to say sincerely and from the bottom of my heart: thank you, Johannes Hatsolo Hattunen, thank you, Tuomas Vaittinen, and thank you, Martin Rooney. I am grateful to have met these three superheroes. Each of them deserves a red Superman badge. What’s that badge? Well, this Superman badge has become a real metaphor for me. It’s based on the story Johannes told.
When a young or rather small boy, Lauri, comes to dance school Saiffa and wants to learn to dance, everything initially feels quite scary, and Lauri is almost panicked. Lauri is afraid of the dance hall, new moves, other students, and the new dance instructor, who becomes his hero—Superman. Besides dance practice, Lauri keeps practicing a move at home again and again. I remember Johannes showing a spinning move that looks like a corkscrew at Lieksa’s Brahe Hall. Anyone’s legs would tie themselves in knots in that spin—at least mine would. Johannes manages to build trust in Lauri, and despite everything, the student progresses in dance class. Johannes even receives an invitation from Lauri to his birthday party. Johannes is surprised when Lauri gives him a gift—a red Superman badge. Lauri says to him: “You’re my superhero.”
You`re my superhero
Lauri’s story also touches on the content of the book Coach to Coach. It features an experienced, old coach, a true sensei, who reminds us that everyone can be a coach or leader for the people around them. That’s how these three Superman friends—Johannes, Tuomas, and Martin—operate when they meet others.
My path to Coach to Coach started small and gradually progressed, sometimes stopping or veering off the trail. The first time I heard about the Training For Warriors gym was at an event called Uskalla yrittää (“Dare to Try”) in Helsinki, which is the finale of a program for student entrepreneurs called Year as an Entrepreneur. We sat in the big hall of Tennispalatsi, and the keynote speaker and motivator was the White Gorilla, Johannes Hatsolo Hattunen. I recall that it was a warm, sunny April—probably 2018. My teaching colleague Sanna Lappalainen and I listened intently to an incredible story, which also described the origins of Suomen Training For Warriors, or TFW, gym. I listened respectfully and with wonder, as Martin Rooney’s name flashed by, especially his skills and desire to bring TFW to Finland through Johannes. If you’re interested, I recommend reading Johannes Hatsolo Hattunen’s book Elämää breikkarin silmin (“Life Through the Eyes of a Breakdancer”). It tells about youth culture and the journey of becoming a breakdancer. The book opened a surprisingly joyful window into the world of breakdance and hip hop culture.
Even then, as I listened to Johannes’s story, my blood started racing, and I fell in love with the attitude and slogans that Johannes’s Saiffa dance school follows: #Attitude
#Attitude 1. Show Up 2. Do your Best 3. Be Nice 4. Smile
These slogans stayed permanently in my mind, along with the origin story of Training For Warriors and the wonder man Martin Rooney. Later, I had the honor of meeting him. He told me that Johannes had stayed with his family, and his daughters and the entire family liked Johannes very much. I respected that, because it reflected the idea that a coach always has new teams, new trainees, students, etc., but the family is the core. You have to take care of family; it’s your most important team, your crew.
The White Gorilla Rises from the Dialogue Circle
After the finale of Uskalla yrittää, we sat in Joensuu Science Park, in the Orange Hall, in a large dialogue circle. We discussed attitude and what it actually is. We were about to launch the Attitude campaign, spreading the right attitude among students and staff. With teaching colleagues, students, training managers, and partners, we discussed what a good start for the campaign might be. Who would be the person to come forward and inject the right attitude into Joensuu and all of North Karelia? We looked at each other in wonder, and then my colleague Sanna Lappalainen suddenly jumped up like she had heard a bang. She pointed a finger at me and sought words, trying to recall someone’s name. She waved her hands toward me and said she had just had a flash. “Let’s ask the person from the Uskalla yrittää final— the breakdancer, the White Gorilla, Johannes or something.” The others looked at us with surprise, because only we had been in the Uskalla yrittää final and heard Johannes’s story.
Let’s ask the White Gorilla to tell us about attitude
The other members of the team said they trusted us. They laughed and told us to start hunting for that White Gorilla. So Johannes was our White Gorilla. I was tasked with finding him in Finland’s jungles. After a team meeting, I sat in Science Park, admiring the scenery and googling “White Gorilla.” I called the event coordinator for Nuori Yrittäjyys (Young Entrepreneurship), Tomi Immonen, but without success. Then a young entrepreneur, Christopher Korhonen from Sakura Oy, entered and greeted me cheerfully, asking how I was doing… how things were going. Excited, I told him about launching the Attitude campaign. I explained that my task was now to hunt the White Gorilla, Johannes. He laughed and said he could help, since Johannes is probably involved with Sportspot Oy, a company he knows. He mentioned that Sagura designs websites for Sportspot. A moment later, I was cheering and laughing, holding contact info for Teemu Harinen, the entrepreneur behind Sportspot Oy, and already about to call. Less than half an hour after we decided that Johannes would be the perfect person to promote attitude, I drafted a preliminary agreement. At this point, I reminded myself that there’s always someone we need or are looking for. All we have to do is dare to ask, be open about what we want, and someone will find the contact details or bring us together. At the same time, I remembered Kim Väisänen, who on Finland’s Entrepreneurs’ Day told young people that if they want to contact someone and don’t know how to find their contact info, they should just call them. Although I managed this time easily and quickly, I saved Kim’s number in my work phone.
That’s how the collaboration between Sportspot Oy and Riveria began, and we got Johannes Hatsolo Hattunen as the Attitude ambassador. Over two years, we traveled around North Karelia with the Attitude team, producing the Attitude Studio at Science Park, in the student entrepreneurship spaces. During those two years, I heard many stories, and gradually the history of Saiffa Dance School and TFW was revealed to me. Johannes’s activities in these areas opened up entirely new perspectives, and I also began to see Martin Rooney’s role and significance in many areas. When the Attitude campaign ended, we felt a bit sad, but our attitude bag was full of hope and energy. That attitude bag still accompanies me, and I draw from it continually—using attitude and confidence for my own growth, courage, and sharing it with others.
Small steps led me deeper into team learning and team coaching, and I kept experimenting boldly, fueled by attitude. I followed Johannes’s enthusiasm and steps in different directions. I even reread his book. Johannes’s reflections on life are deep and touching. They resonated with me through the Coach to Coach book. Sometimes, despite trying harder than I can, life just hits back. Later, I realized I had been prepared for this all along— I just hadn’t kept my eyes open.
Sometimes life just hits
And so it happened to me one day while hiking the Kalliolampi trail. My worn knees suddenly let me know they’d had enough, and all the walking, running, and hiking came to an abrupt stop. It was a full stop, no matter how much I tried to look in different directions or force a smile. The smile did not help.
Thanks to the Finnish healthcare system and Pihlajalinna’s orthopedists Ville Remes and Reima Venhesmaa, both knees received new, titanium joints. The new knees gave me a new life and I regained the joy of movement. I learned to walk again, gradually relearned other physical activities. Thanks to this to the excellent physiotherapist Teppo Holopainen, who guided me to the gym with firm and encouraging words. My first thought was: what the heck—probably I don’t need a gym or weight room—nope. In reality, I was scared at first, just like little Lauri at dance school. Johannes’s words from an inspiring talk came to mind: “If I put you into breakdancing and spinning on your head, you’d probably pee your pants. Guaranteed.” That’s how it is—new things are scary, and sometimes you pee your pants.
Eventually, I gathered the courage to walk into the gym, and I saw that it was a TFW gym. From another perspective, I was terrified again, feeling like Lauri—panic, pee in my pants, want to leave. But from another angle, I was curious and intrigued. At the TFW gym, I was greeted by an expert, coach Tuomas Vaittinen. I encouraged myself and started rehabilitating with a positive attitude. When Tuomas asked me during the first morning workout if I had been nervous the night before or if I’d slept well, I was smiling and bluffing: “No, I wasn’t nervous, and I slept well.” In truth, I was awake all night, watching the clock and feeling anxious about what was to come. But I could see from Tuomas’s smile and expression that he knew and saw right through me. That’s the sixth sense of a coach— they notice everything. Soon, I got used to the workouts, and my body started to call for movement, energy, and challenge. I enjoyed the training at TFW, and it gave me energy and inspiration for many things—even for my work. As I continued to attend, I started reading the texts, values, and ideas on the walls. I began to understand more deeply what it means to train at TFW. To me, TFW is not just a gym or a place for members to train; it’s an attitude and way of thinking. It’s about caring for people, genuinely encountering and listening to them. You can read about this story also in the Coach to Coach book
Martin emphasizes that it’s not enough just to know things—you have to act on them. When a coach genuinely cares and is authentic, after listening, they work together to find solutions. No problem is too small to solve. The whole is made up of many small things, and consistent small actions lead to progress over time. This was my personal experience at TFW. When life changes and phases come—say, work becomes a time-consuming beast, and planned schedules dissolve into thin air—I almost considered quitting TFW gradually because of lack of time. I sent messages and called Tuomas for help. In the end, I thank Tuomas for organizing it so I could schedule workouts myself. Looking ahead to the coming year, this is a very important and meaningful matter for me—well-being and health are core values. Success in life often depends on well-being and added value.
TFW Joensuu made one of my dreams come true when, in January 2024, Martin Rooney, the creator and visionary behind the entire TFW concept, came as a keynote speaker to Joensuu. When I was quick enough to add my name to the workout list, I managed to participate in Martin Rooney’s guided exercises. Wow! When I heard about it, I was thrilled and messaged Johannes: “Is this really the Martin Rooney?” The one you’ve lived with in the USA? The one you’ve lived with in his family in America? Johannes replied that yes, it was indeed The Martin Rooney.
Thank you, Martin, for your visit and your book, which has given me a lot of energy, ideas, and faith—also in entrepreneurship education and coaching entrepreneurs. This Coach to Coach book has shown me a path for how to ignite my passions and develop them into flames. The people around me, new perspectives, and the courage to try open up new possibilities. We may not even realize it when we first hear something inspiring. Its significance can extend far into the future.
When I first heard about attitude and Johannes Hatsolo Hattunen’s inspiring speech, I never thought that within less than a year I’d be collaborating with him, and in seven years, these words would still motivate me forward. I would never have believed that I would dare to go to a TFW gym and even meet Martin Rooney and start reading his books. Thank you, July, thank you, Ruka hike—I had the chance to pause and look back on this trail.
What we do today, whom we meet, and what we encounter today can influence our lives many years into the future—sometimes profoundly. All of this has contributed to my ability this summer to better participate in running school and open water swimming. Life is a miracle, life is a gift. Thank you, Johannes. Thank you, Tuomas. Thank you, Martin.
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