Foto (intro): Lars Gustafsson (från Swedish League i Gyllbergen)

 

Jekabs, som är från Lettland, flyttade till Stockholm och Fagersjö i september för att börja plugga en master på KTH, och har sedan dess varit på många av klubbens träningar och dessutom sprungit många tävlingar för klubben, med flera bra resultat. Vi är väldigt glada att Jekabs valt Snättringe, han kommer bidra mycket till stämningen och till lagen!

 

 

Birth year: 2001

Previous clubs: Tampereen Pyrintö (2020 – 2024)

Studies: MSc Sustainable Energy Engineering at KTH. Hopefully will get to work in the renewable energy sector and save the planet!

Biggest success: Since I had never had a proper orienteering coach, it must be the 3rd place in Baltic Orienteering Championships 2021 Long junior class – missed gold only by 22s. That race was the breakthrough in my career. After that I went to JWOC, got a couple top10 results in Viestiliiga and even won the famous Halikko viesti with Tampereen Pyrinto :)

 

 

When did you start orienteering and how did you get in touch with orienteering? 

I’m a third generation athlete in my family. My grandmother and her sister took my dad orienteering in the 80s and 90s and it has been our family sport ever since then. When I was young, there was a rule in our family that on weekends we do something outdoors - often that activity was orienteering.

 

 

How did you get in contact with Snättringe? / What made you join Snättringe?  

It’s such a butterfly effect that begun this year in Portugal O-meeting. On the first day it was WRE and I made a mistake on the other side of the river – the hill with many cliffs and boulders. Some guy caught me and we did the rest of the course together. He was very good at orienteering so after the run we talked. He was from Switzerland yet he wore a dark green jersey… His name was Joschi Schmid. Many of you know he is running for Snättringe! So when I came to study to Sweden half a year later he told me I should join Snättringe.

 
What is your favourite terrain? 

South-Stockholm is the easy answer. That’s why I came to do my Masters here! It feels like it’s specifically made for this sport. Yet I must admit that after this summer Massif Des Bauges in France (kartexempel därifrån från VM lång 2011) might have a slight lead in my heart.

 
What is your goal in Orienteering? 

While watching JWOC 2019, I promised myself that I will one day run in the national team. Two years later I was the best junior orienteering athlete in Latvia! Ever since then, my goal is to qualify for the WOC national team.

 

How is orienteering in Latvia compared to orienteering in Sweden, or to orienteering in Finland, where you have spent a lot of time?

Orienteering in Latvia is definately less competitive than up here. Competitions feel more like get-togethers with your friends. Yet the people who actually compete are world-class, so it’s very difficult to break through.

If you want to experience true Latvian orienteering culture, then Kapa3Day summer festival is the place to be! Known as the Oringen of the Baltic States, it is the largest and most anticipated event of the year! I really recommend going next year :)

What is your best orienteering memory? 

My first Jukola - 2019. It was my first time orienteering in the challenging yet beautiful Scandinavian terrains with the boulders and cliffs. I was running the third leg in Siguldas Takas, which is my home club. Unsurprisingly, our first two legs took 4 hours to finish, so it was almost dawn when I started haha!

Kangasala terrain did not make it easy and I made a lot of mistakes. About an hour into the run, the sun begun to rise over the mythical forest. In the morning fog, beams of sunlight were dancing through the trees on the mossy boulders. It was so beautiful. So magnificent in fact, that I had never felt that level of happiness while doing orienteering. I was filled with emotion, tearing up with joy. I felt so alive that to the next control I ran as fast as possible. Turns out I did the fastest split out of all 1800 runners to that control, which shouldn’t have been possible for such a beginner!

Even to this day I think this moment cannot be matched. There is only one ”first time” orienteering in the Scandinavia.

(Karta Jukola 2019 str 3)

 

You have earlier been competing in the European Championships in Rubik’s cube. Which would you say are the biggest similarities between cubing and orienteering? 

Yes, speedcubing was my personality in highschool. I can still solve a Rubik’s cube in 10 seconds! Cubing taught me that the seemingly impossible is possible with a structured plan. Meaning, all dreams in life, as well as orienteering, can be achieved with a proper training plan, intermediate goals and having a supportive team around. Most importantly – just to have fun while doing it. Be it solving a Rubik’s cube tens of thousands of times or finding controls in the forest.

 

During the summer you made an insane bicycle trip, being on the road in Europe for 100 days! What is your top pick for a place that you would recommend us all to visit?

Together with my younger brother Paulis (now also studying in Sweden but running for Stora Tuna), we cycled across Europe. It took us exactly 100 days to cycle 6500 kilometres from Latvia to the Western-most point of continental Europe – to Portugal!

It has always been a dream of mine just to cycle South, towards palm trees. During the ”grind” days we did about 100km per day, which sounds a lot – because it was a lot. It was a full-time job from May to August! During rest-days we did trail-running in the Alps and Pyrenees, did surfing in France and Portugal, and also managed to orienteer in some of the coolest terrains in Europe!

We visited so many beautiful places, but there is one that immediately comes to mind: Bouillouses Lakes in the French Pyrenees (länk med bilder och info). I think it was the most beautiful place on our journey. We took a lot of photos during this adventure, so you can check out on Instagram: @paariEiropai2024 (länk)

 

 

Mark your favourite: 

Sprint, Middle, Long or Ultralong?

But I do love a technical Middle!

 

Day or Night? 

The more challenging, the better. Also night makes me more focused!

10mila or Jukola?

Without a doubt – but maybe my answer will change during my time in Sweden :)

 

Latvian piragi (pirog) or Swedish fika?

I have a terrible sweet tooth, so fika will be my answer 355 days of the year. Yet on Christmas day there is nothing better than a homemade pirāgs straight out of the oven!

 

Winter in Riga or Winter in Tampere? 

I looove snow. The more the better!