My Nordic Walking Journey

By profession, I am a partner at an international law firm in Latvia, heading Banking and Finance as well as Corporate and Commercial legal practices, with over 25 years of experience in banking, capital markets and international transactions.

Alongside that work, I serve as a top executive of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) – a role that keeps me closely connected to high-performance sport governance at the global level.

My own athletic background is in DanceSport, where I competed seriously as an athlete. That foundation gave me something lasting: an understanding of what disciplined, structured movement does for the body and the mind, and an instinct to keep seeking it regardless of what life demands.

About five years ago, I discovered Nordic walking. It began simply – poles in hand, fresh air, no expectations. But what started as casual walking gradually became something much more intentional. I started learning proper technique, training consistently, and then entering the Latvian national championships. The sport rewarded every step of that progression honestly and without shortcuts.

The results followed: podiums at the Latvian national championships, a world title at 10km, and eventually ultra-distance walks of 107 kilometres – completed in full Nordic walking technique.

I share these not as credentials, but as proof of what the discipline makes possible. Nordic walking is accessible to almost anyone. It engages more than 90% of the body’s muscles, supports cardiovascular health, improves posture, and creates a form of movement that is sustainable across decades.

It scales effortlessly – from a first walk in a city park to a national championship start line to a 107km ultra. Correct technique is the key that unlocks all of it.

That is the message I want people to take away. Not the titles, but the arc. A busy professional, a former athlete, a person who simply picked up poles one day – and found a sport that gave back far more than it asked.