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Women's Basketball
vs. Florida Memorial
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Owl Letters - Lotta Vehka-Aho
6/30/2020 12:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
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Collegiate athletics came to a halt in mid-March. With social distancing, remote work schedules and the inability to gather to cheer on our favorite teams, came a void. The void of seeing our favorite teams compete; the void of watching our favorite student-athletes grow and improve.
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Florida Atlantic athletics recognizes that void and has seized the opportunity by providing an opportunity for fans to get to know the FAU athletes and coaches in a series called "Owl Letters." It is just one of the #WinningInParadise series that FAUSports.com will bring to you, our loyal fans.
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Dear Basketball,
What a weird sport… but I still would not change it. I love you from the bottom of my heart. Twelve years ago, you introduced me to you when I was seven years old. I still remember those black and yellow colored and-1 shoes, which had these flashing stripes that were always caught on camera. They were the best. In my life, I have always wanted to do something meaningful - to have purpose. Basketball gave me that… and still gives. I have tried track & field, Finnish baseball and other sports, but you were the only one that stayed for good. I could not be happier. For the past 12 years, I have acknowledged and learned a lot of things: How to cooperate with others, how to prioritize my time, how to lose (which still sucks btw), how to accomplish things I worked my butt off, but the most important thing that I have come to realize is that I can never lose sight of who I am as a person. I am a basketball player (very proud of that) but I am also a daughter, sister and other things. I have always struggled with this because it's hard to find yourself when you are around basketball all the time. I don't think this is a bad thing. I take this as a challenge for me from you and I could not ask for another one. But here is the trick - this is a lifelong task. You by my side, I can win this challenge but I try not to stress it.
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[On the] 17th of February 2020, I felt a huge sharp pain in my lower back while doing deadlift in our weight room at FAU. I knew something was off. I remembered all the games with FAU and my national team… all the early mornings, the burning pain after three hour practices and the trips to games were making me hate myself. How could I end up in this situation? And the first thought that came into my mind was that am I never going be able to feel those good memories again. I tried to move but it was this constant pain that annoyed me the whole time. Stress fracture said that MRI. I was devastated. I could not believe that me who had never been injured would be in this situation. But of course, that's life. Sometimes things happen to you that you don't want to happen to anyone. I have come to realize that the crucial part in my situation is my own mentality and willingness to fight back. Now it's been over four months after that happened which sounds like a long time, but I am feeling better and that's all that matters.
Â
Dear basketball, what happened to me was happening to me way before that accident at the weight room. I could have done things differently, but I can never go back and that's just how life is. I know from the bottom of my heart that we will meet again and it's going be epic. But now, I am going to make myself healthy, so that I can come and annoy you.
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Love,
Â
xoxo Lotta
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Alex Smolka - April 10, 2020
Rosa Barnak - April 13, 2020
Alice McCall - April 15, 2020
Bobby Morgensen - April 17, 2020
Kelsey Witkay - April 20, 2020
John McCormack - April 22, 2020
Amanda Leslie -  April 24, 2020
Wilfredo Alvarez - April 27, 2020
Ryan Jamison - April 29, 2020
Arielle Keating - May 1, 2020
Sami Williams - May 4, 2020
Capri Grotowski - May 6, 2020
Erica Brok - May 8, 2020
May Kimhi - May 11, 2020
Ricardo Gonzalez - May 13, 2020
Kim Egozi - May 15, 2020
Anne-Catherine Wasser - May 28, 2020
Martina Kudelova - May 20, 2020
Justine Fournand - May 22, 2020
Kaila Dorish - May 25, 2020
Max Lapraille - May 27, 2020
Radka Buzkova - May 29, 2020
Hunter Robbins - June 1, 2020
Karin Kozlejova - June 5, 2020
Natalie Kallmunzerova - June 8, 2020
Natalia Boltinskaya - June 10, 2020
Louie McLelland - June 12, 2020
Crystal Primm - June 15, 2020
Dusty May - June 17, 2020
Sigourney Kame - July 19, 2020
Alonso Coello Camarero – June 23, 2020
Jim Jabir - June 25, 2020
Lotta Vehka-Aho - June 30, 2020
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Collegiate athletics came to a halt in mid-March. With social distancing, remote work schedules and the inability to gather to cheer on our favorite teams, came a void. The void of seeing our favorite teams compete; the void of watching our favorite student-athletes grow and improve.
Â
Florida Atlantic athletics recognizes that void and has seized the opportunity by providing an opportunity for fans to get to know the FAU athletes and coaches in a series called "Owl Letters." It is just one of the #WinningInParadise series that FAUSports.com will bring to you, our loyal fans.
Â
Dear Basketball,
What a weird sport… but I still would not change it. I love you from the bottom of my heart. Twelve years ago, you introduced me to you when I was seven years old. I still remember those black and yellow colored and-1 shoes, which had these flashing stripes that were always caught on camera. They were the best. In my life, I have always wanted to do something meaningful - to have purpose. Basketball gave me that… and still gives. I have tried track & field, Finnish baseball and other sports, but you were the only one that stayed for good. I could not be happier. For the past 12 years, I have acknowledged and learned a lot of things: How to cooperate with others, how to prioritize my time, how to lose (which still sucks btw), how to accomplish things I worked my butt off, but the most important thing that I have come to realize is that I can never lose sight of who I am as a person. I am a basketball player (very proud of that) but I am also a daughter, sister and other things. I have always struggled with this because it's hard to find yourself when you are around basketball all the time. I don't think this is a bad thing. I take this as a challenge for me from you and I could not ask for another one. But here is the trick - this is a lifelong task. You by my side, I can win this challenge but I try not to stress it.
Â
[On the] 17th of February 2020, I felt a huge sharp pain in my lower back while doing deadlift in our weight room at FAU. I knew something was off. I remembered all the games with FAU and my national team… all the early mornings, the burning pain after three hour practices and the trips to games were making me hate myself. How could I end up in this situation? And the first thought that came into my mind was that am I never going be able to feel those good memories again. I tried to move but it was this constant pain that annoyed me the whole time. Stress fracture said that MRI. I was devastated. I could not believe that me who had never been injured would be in this situation. But of course, that's life. Sometimes things happen to you that you don't want to happen to anyone. I have come to realize that the crucial part in my situation is my own mentality and willingness to fight back. Now it's been over four months after that happened which sounds like a long time, but I am feeling better and that's all that matters.
Â
Dear basketball, what happened to me was happening to me way before that accident at the weight room. I could have done things differently, but I can never go back and that's just how life is. I know from the bottom of my heart that we will meet again and it's going be epic. But now, I am going to make myself healthy, so that I can come and annoy you.
Â
Love,
Â
xoxo Lotta
Â
PREVIOUS LETTERS
Jolie Duffner - April 8, 2020Alex Smolka - April 10, 2020
Rosa Barnak - April 13, 2020
Alice McCall - April 15, 2020
Bobby Morgensen - April 17, 2020
Kelsey Witkay - April 20, 2020
John McCormack - April 22, 2020
Amanda Leslie -  April 24, 2020
Wilfredo Alvarez - April 27, 2020
Ryan Jamison - April 29, 2020
Arielle Keating - May 1, 2020
Sami Williams - May 4, 2020
Capri Grotowski - May 6, 2020
Erica Brok - May 8, 2020
May Kimhi - May 11, 2020
Ricardo Gonzalez - May 13, 2020
Kim Egozi - May 15, 2020
Anne-Catherine Wasser - May 28, 2020
Martina Kudelova - May 20, 2020
Justine Fournand - May 22, 2020
Kaila Dorish - May 25, 2020
Max Lapraille - May 27, 2020
Radka Buzkova - May 29, 2020
Hunter Robbins - June 1, 2020
Karin Kozlejova - June 5, 2020
Natalie Kallmunzerova - June 8, 2020
Natalia Boltinskaya - June 10, 2020
Louie McLelland - June 12, 2020
Crystal Primm - June 15, 2020
Dusty May - June 17, 2020
Sigourney Kame - July 19, 2020
Alonso Coello Camarero – June 23, 2020
Jim Jabir - June 25, 2020
Lotta Vehka-Aho - June 30, 2020
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Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
Rightside/Outside Hitter
/ Women's Volleyball
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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