Behind the Work: Helmi represents Finland at the Aerial Acrobatics World Championships
Helmi Lehtinen competed at the 2025 Aerial Acrobatics World Championships in Cape Town, South Africa, and will also represent Finland at the 2026 World Championships in South Korea. (Photo: Anna Smith)
Aerial acrobatics combines strength, flexibility and a distinctive sense of lightness and elegance. In a relatively short time, the sport has taken Helmi Lehtinen all the way to the international stage of the World Championships. Helmi works at Raumaster as a Project Engineer and Equipment Specialist. Goal-oriented training provides a valuable counterbalance to desk work.
Versatile, challenging and enjoyable – these are the words Helmi Lehtinen uses to describe aerial acrobatics. It is a broad discipline combining movements that require strength, mobility and body control, performed using a variety of apparatus such as silks, hoops and poles.
“All of these fall under the umbrella of aerial acrobatics. They share certain similarities, but each apparatus also has its own specific features. In all of them, you need excellent body control, strength, endurance and flexibility,” Lehtinen explains.
The sport has its roots in circus performance, which means the execution must also be engaging to watch. Lehtinen notes with a smile that the greatest challenge lies in making demanding routines appear light and effortless.
“There is always something new to learn. As soon as you master one move, the next one is already waiting. At the same time, you can combine movements with music, which has always been close to my heart. Learning new skills takes time, but the sense of achievement is very rewarding.”
“My favourites are dynamic movements and flips,” says Lehtinen.
Second World Championships ahead
Lehtinen’s main disciplines are hoop, pole and flying pole. Her progress has been rapid. Having started only three years ago, she competed for the first time in spring 2025 and already in November represented Finland at the Pole Art World Championships in South Africa.
“It was a great experience and the competition went well, even though I didn’t reach the podium. A hamstring injury in the autumn slowed me down a bit, but I was still able to achieve my personal best score,” Lehtinen says.
Her sights are now set on the World Championships to be held in South Korea in November 2026. She secured her place in April at the Pole Art qualifying competition in Turku with a record score, winning gold. During the same weekend, she also won gold in Prague at the Czech Aerial Art Championships in the Original Props (flying pole) category.
“Based on the score I achieved in Turku, I have a good chance of reaching the podium at the World Championships as well. For example, last year the same score would have been enough for bronze.”
Lehtinen says that there is always something new to learn. As soon as you master one move, the next one is already waiting. (Photo: Anna Smith)
A balanced lifestyle
The sport places significant demands on the body, making recovery and nutrition essential. Lehtinen supports her recovery with regular sauna sessions and cuts out unhealthy habits when preparing for competitions.
“I train my discipline for at least ten hours a week, in addition to strength, mobility and endurance training. At Raumaster, it’s been possible to successfully combine work with goal-oriented training,” she says.
“This sport is suitable for anyone and provides an excellent counterbalance to working at a computer. The community is very supportive. I encourage everyone to give it a try.”
