This feature originally appeared in the Spring edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.



Athletes from Finland have a knack for javelin — or, at least, that is what Tuomas Kaukolahti would tell you. When Kaukolahti coolly stepped up to throw the javelin at one of Cal's recent track & field practices, it didn't surprise him that his mark neighbored among some of the best in the country. He recounts that he had no extensive preparation for the throw, just some muscle memory from his training from his childhood — naturally.
 
Kaukolahti, a junior triple-jump specialist for the Golden Bears, spent two years studying chemical engineering at Aalto University in his home of Helsinki, Finland, before coming to Cal. Now, pursuing a major in nutritional science, physiology and metabolism, Kaukolahti is able to combine his interests of dietetics and athletics.
 
"Nutrition is a big part of optimizing your performance in sports," Kaukolahti said. "I wanted to be performing at my best, and nutrition is one of the key things to look for when you are trying to shape your potential."
 
Since coming to Cal, Kaukolahti has won all three conference championships in the triple jump that he has participated in, winning MPSF titles in 2018 and 2019 and a Pac-12 crown in 2018. Before he decided to focus on jumps around the age of 16, he dabbled in several different events, even competing in the decathlon. Influenced by a decathlete coach in Finland, Kaukolahti dedicated himself to being a well-rounded athlete.
 
When he took to studying at university in Finland, Kaukolahti concentrated on chemical engineering and eventually decided that after two years he wanted to study abroad. He spoke three languages — Finnish, English and Swedish — and carried with him an extensive knowledge of chemistry, physics and math that overlapped in his new area of study in the sciences.
 
"I contacted Berkeley, and they gave me the opportunity to complete a degree," Kaukolahti said. "It was an opportunity for me to get more involved with something that I have a passion for, and also at the same time focus on sports."
 
When Kaukolahti got to the U.S., there were a few significant adjustments he would have to make, though nothing he could not handle. In Finland, education is far more independent than in the United States — there is no discussion section system and no weekly lectures. All Kaukolahti had to do was be present for exams on campus.
 
While the independence was something Kaukolahti had become accustomed to, he values the variety at Cal – sometimes working alone, sometimes in groups. The transition to more mandatory and scheduled events in academics also mirrored changes in athletics. In Finland, sports teams compete separately from their university and training times are flexible, although Kaukolahti says the time management of both melds into one world.
 
With ample opportunities at his hand, including a chance to work with Cal Athletics' dietetics department, Kaukolahti spends his days doing what he loves. He hopes to enter a master's degree program in the near future, ultimately to become a dietician. Specializing in working with athletes would be the macro-friendly cherry on top for Kaukolahti.
 
And no matter what field he ends up in, there is a good chance it will come naturally.