Otto Invenius – eyes forward towards new goals
Otto Invenius is a familiar figure to many who follow biathlon. He is known from his positive presence. Otto’s path to the sport was partly the result of coincidence.
Otto is originally from Leppävirta, although his family roots are in North Karelia. Moving to Joensuu felt natural to him. Ottos partner received a place to study here and the decision was easy because the Joensuu region offers excellent opportunities for biathlon training.
In his youth Otto was active in athletics, but a diagnosis of juvenile rheumatism required him to step away from all impact sports. Biathlon then became the natural choice for a young and motivated athlete. Otto explains that he did not enjoy skiing at first, and his enthusiasm grew only through consistent practice. He finally committed to biathlon at the Vuokatti Sports High School. Many biathletes describe shooting as the element that creates excitement in the sport, and that excitement captured Otto as well.
Otto has competed in the Finnish youth national biathlon team, the IBU Cup, the Youth World Championships and nearly every competition level available for an athlete in the sport. From the youth championships he has earned several medals. In recent years he has raced in the Biathlon World Cup as well as the World Championships. His current long term aim is the most significant one of all, the Olympic Games. An equally important objective for this season is to remain healthy and complete a balanced and uninterrupted competitive season.
Although the past summer and autumn have been challenging, Otto focuses on the future. His recovery has progressed steadily and the period of illness has offered some positive experiences as well. The calmer rhythm allowed him to spend time with his family, train in a variety of sports and even enjoy moments with video games. A more ordinary daily life has been beneficial and Otto has avoided unnecessary stress by concentrating on recovery. He says that sport is not his entire identity and this mindset helps him navigate setbacks when they arise.
Otto had a positive impression of Ouneva Group as a strong local company. When we met him we toured the Jotwire factory in Lehmo. He appeared pleasantly surprised by the scale of our operations and we may have inspired him with the diversity of modern manufacturing. Our support provides Otto with financial security which allows him to focus fully on training and recovery.