Mona Kangasniemi: Finnish SISU - Twice Crowned Champion 🇫🇮
From Pori Noormarkku, Finland, Mona Kangasniemi is everything SISU Racing stands for: quiet determination, consistency over time, and a deep love for the process. A two-time SISU Racing Women’s Club Champion, Mona’s journey into cycling didn’t start with elite sport or a lifelong athletic background - it started with curiosity, perseverance, and a decision to keep showing up.
Finding Rhythm in the Pain Cave
Mona’s training space is simple and purposeful. A Kickr Bike v2 and Apple TV sit in a training room next to her home office - perfectly placed for evening rides that fit around a full day of work and family life.
Her soundtrack shifts with intent. K-pop powers her workouts. Group rides come with mixed playlists and a relaxed vibe. Racing, however, demands silence - total focus on effort, pacing, and execution.
Coffee? Already handled earlier in the day. Races around 7–8pm are her sweet spot. Mornings are for easing into the day; evenings are where Mona performs best.
An All-Rounder by Passion
Mona describes herself as an all-rounder. She loves sprinting and hunting jerseys, feels comfortable on climbs as a lightweight rider, and has the endurance to go long when needed. That versatility has become one of her strengths, especially in varied race formats and championships.
A Journey That Started Later and Went Further Than Expected
Mona doesn’t come from a sporting background. For years, cycling was occasional summer riding with her children, when the Finnish weather allowed. Much of her daily movement came from walking her beloved whippet several times a day right up until spring 2024.
Everything changed in December 2021 when her family bought their first smart bike with a simple goal: get fitter. Mona started Zwifting as a D rider, enjoying free rides and collecting route badges. Workouts followed. Group rides followed that. Then, in July 2022, she lined up for her first individual races.
Progress came through consistency and perseverance. By autumn 2022, Mona was racing weekly Team Time Trials and she was hooked. She loved the teamwork, the shared responsibility, the rhythm of riding for something bigger than herself.
Around that time, she was introduced to SISU Racing and joined her first ZRL team under Dean Robertson. It was the perfect environment to learn, supported by welcoming teammates and strong culture. The following season, Mona was asked to captain SISU Racing Drake — a role she embraced fully.
Zwift became more than training. It became her release. After full days of work and caring responsibilities, the bike offered pressure relief, focus, and joy. Except for surgeries, injuries, and travel, Mona found herself on her Kickr Bike almost every evening.
Eventually, Zwift spilled into the real world. A Canyon road bike opened the door to longer outdoor rides, and a cycling trip to Lake Garda in summer 2023 became a defining moment. The climb up Monte Baldo was her triumph—clear proof that it’s never too late to start something new.
Motivation, Mindset, and Balance
When motivation dips, Mona reminds herself why she rides: she’s doing it for herself. Fitness gains may come more slowly now, but maintaining strength and capability matters deeply to her.
Consistency during busy life periods comes from effort and honesty - giving 100% where she can, and acknowledging when fatigue is real. One mindset shift changed everything: don’t overdo it. Easy rides matter. Recovery matters.
Her greatest challenges came after leg and wrist surgeries, when time off the bike forced her to start again from the bottom. But with a true SISU mindset of never giving up she rebuilt, patiently and steadily.
Champion, Twice Over
Being crowned SISU Racing Women’s Club Champion in both 2023/24 and 2024/25 is something Mona is rightfully proud of —though she never expected it.
She didn’t grow up racing. She didn’t come from sport. She simply Zwifted, consistently.
Mona will return in March to defend her title, though she’ll miss the final road race while visiting family in Denmark. The New York routes? Challenging and that’s exactly what makes them exciting.
Wisdom Earned the Hard Way
Mona’s training philosophy is simple and powerful:
Consistency beats everything
Know your body and listen to it
And on ZRL recon rides… don’t empty the tank
Early mistakes become lessons when you’re willing to learn from them.
SISU Racing, Through Mona’s Eyes
As a long time ZRL captain, Mona loved the teamwork most - hard racing done together, strategy built collaboratively, and trust shared across the squad. She made sure everyone had a chance to race, contribute, and feel valued. The team spirit mattered as much as the result.
She proudly wears every SISU kit - especially the original white and carries those colours outdoors as well as in Zwift.
And as a Finn, seeing SISU Racing grow globally holds special meaning. Riders all over the world connected by a uniquely Finnish concept of strength, resilience, and quiet courage.
Mona sums it up best:
“SISU Racing is like a big family where everyone is equal, and has support, understanding, cheering, and encouragement from one another.”
From first free rides to double Club Champion, Mona Kangasniemi’s story is a reminder that greatness doesn’t require a head start - just heart, patience, and SISU.