After leaving high school, I moved to Italy to work at a racehorse stables for a gap year which ended up lasting almost 4 years. While I was spending my summer holidays in Finland in 2006, I was spotted at the racetrack in my home town of Mikkeli and recruited for the Miss Finland competition! To my surprise, I found myself in the finals of the 2007 Miss Finland competition as the “dark horse” of the competition, a favorite among the press and the public, and I was ultimately crowned Second Princess.

It was a “smooth” swap from stable boots to high heels, and races were soon replaced with presenting work and fashion shows.

A stroke of luck came in 2012 when I got a job as the Finnish Broadcasting Company’s reporter and presenter for race broadcasting. That’s where my career in TV really took off, combining my passion for horses with work. Nowadays I present MTV3’s morning program, Huomenta Suomi. In addition, I also present other shows, such as Teknavi, Fort Boyard and Radio Nova’s traffic broadcasts. I also do a lot of different public and corporate events.

My work as a celebrity has taught me a lot, both good and bad. It’s important to know who you are and where you come from. I’ve always found it extremely important to be my true self. I also believe that that is real beauty. A self-respecting person who can laugh at themselves will go far.

My friends and family have always encouraged me to do what I love. The will to improve has always been a strong motivating factor in my career, and credibility must be earned. But believing in yourself is most important.

The journey from stablehand to Miss Finland princess and TV presenter wasn’t always the easiest road to take, but on the other hand, it’s a journey that genuinely suits me.

– Joanna