Family ties: Hannah makes mum proud with Euro Cross vest for Finland

Friday 22nd November 2024

Photo by Bobby Gavin

Finland Athletics Federation – team announcement

By Aidan Gilbride

With the Liverpool Cross Challenge and Euro Cross Trials set for tomorrow, most Scottish and British athletes await the races which will determine who will represent GB and NI in Antalya, Turkey, early next month.

However, this is not the case for one person, as East Kilbride AC and Edinburgh University athlete Hannah Anderson has been selected already for the Finland U23 Women’s team.

Hannah has lived in multiple countries due to her father Steven’s job, but when she was 12 the family settled in Strathaven, Scotland.

Hannah was born in Helsinki, Finland, and her mother Eevamaija is Finnish. For this reason, Hannah is eligible to compete for the Scandinavian nation.

Her proud mum Eevamaija said: ‘For Hannah to run for Finland and see her line up in the Finnish vest will be very emotional, not just for me but for our family back home.

‘There is a Finnish word ‘Sisu’ which refers to grit, resilience and determination and I think this sums up Hannah perfectly.’

Photo via the Anderson family

This journey began a decade ago when Hannah joined East Kilbride Athletics Club. From the outset, it was clear there was a lot of natural talent as she hit the ground running very quickly.

One of her first coaches, Kenny Clements, said: ‘I could tell she had talent, that was obvious. But what also stood out was her application and attitude even at such an early age.’

For the next seven years, she established herself as one of the top young women in her age group, winning multiple Scottish and District medals while representing Scotland on several occasions. She credits coaches Kenny Clements and Niall Walker, as well as the East Kilbride AC small-feel community, for the early development of her career.

In 2021 she began her degree at Edinburgh University and continued to improve in the Hares and Hounds demonstrating an excellent level of consistency in repeated Scotland appearances.

Hannah says the biggest difference in her development here was being surrounded by older female athletes and having a group of girls to train with.

‘Having access to the Endurance Academy set up at the University was a big step-up,’ said Hannah.

‘For the first time, I had access to Strength and Conditioning Coaches, Nutritionists, Physios and Psychologists. It’s easy to forget that running is more than just banking the miles.’

Hannah represents Scotland in XC (photo supplied by the Anderson family)

She credits her current coach Lewis Walker and athletes Jenny Selman and Sarah Calvert as big inspirations and believes she couldn’t have got as far as she has without them.

Upon Graduating she decided to move back to the country of her birth, Finland, to attain a Masters degree. In the past year, she has pushed on again and has earned her first international selection to the Finland squad for the upcoming Euro Cross.

Hannah in a full-circle story now represents her mother’s old club in Finland. She stated she had just returned home from a typical Tuesday training night when she got the phone call about her selection.

‘It really does feel surreal, I think I’m still in shock. I’ve always felt that I was close to getting somewhere bigger and just never quite made it. It feels like an accumulation of the last ten years of work.’

An excited Hannah stated she intends to soak up every minute of her first international championship appearance.

‘I’m very excited about it! Training has been going well and we’ve focussed a lot more on endurance this winter than I have before.

‘I need to trust in myself, and I know I do run best when I am having a fun time.’

Hannah represented Scotland at the Loughborough International earlier this year and came up with a superb win in the Women’s mile race (photo by Bobby Gavin)

East Kilbride Club President Gordon Colvin said: ‘It’s fantastic news that Hannah has been selected to represent Finland. She’s been at the club since Under 13s and everyone at the club is delighted that she has been able to take her athletics career to this level.’

EKAC sends a hardy bunch known famously amongst athletics fans as ‘The EK Tartan Army’ to international events. They attend every World/European XC Championship, and this year will be their 19th year.

‘It’s the first time we’ll have a chance to see a current club athlete in any of the races, so you can be assured that Hannah will be one of the best-supported athletes out there,’ added Gordon.

The Euro Cross takes place in Turkey in just over two weeks on Sunday 8 December.

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Tags: East Kilbride AC, Euro Cross, Gordon Colvin, Hannah Anderson, Kenny Clements, Lewis Walker