“I’m not afraid of life anymore”
Sanna represented Finland at the Nordic Homeless Cup in Stockholm, it was her second time taking part in the tournament. She’s been part of our Finish partner Homeless Academy Association’s programme since 2019.
Sanna is a person who effortlessly radiates sunshine and joy. Whether it’s laughing when I say she doesn’t look 44 or dancing around when the camera comes out.
It’s hard to believe that Sanna once described herself as a “hermit”
After beating addiction and becoming sober, Sanna went into hiding. It took her years to build up her confidence and feel comfortable building close relationships again. The wall she had put up to protect herself took a long time to come down.
“It was a slow start but now I’ve been playing since 2019. For a lot of that time, I was thinking only about me and how I can protect myself from being hurt.”
“I was afraid of the ball when I went to my first training session, when the ball came towards me, I would shout ‘no, no!’” (Sanna holds her head in her hand, laughs and mimics ducking for cover.)
Sanna has fallen in love with football and what it offers both on and off the pitch. She explains, everyone comes to Homeless Academy Association for the football. But you don’t need to know how to play to join the team.
“The spirit and the community here are everything. People are coming to play football here, not because of the different kind of backgrounds they are from but it’s all about the football. The street soccer – that’s the thing.”
For a long time, Sanna self-medicated with drugs. Using them to suppress traumatic memories from her childhood.
|It’s hard to believe that Sanna once described herself as a “hermit”. Photo: HWC/Rebecca Corbett
“Now I’m not afraid of life and people anymore.”
25th May was a significant date for Sanna Salmi. It marks another year of being drug free. 2022 is her eleventh year since she completed her rehabilitation programme and she hasn’t touched drugs since.
Drugs were part of her life since she was a child.
“I had a lot of suffering growing up. I was depressed. My family were alcoholics and violent. It wasn’t good to be at home.”
She grew up in and out of care, often separated from her sister who stayed with her aunt.
“At 12 I started stronger stuff and I thought if I don’t take the drugs, I will die because I thought the drugs would save me. I was thinking about committing suicide.”
| “I’m not afraid of life and people anymore.” Photo: HWC/Rebecca Corbett
“I have learnt that I can be a team player, everything is not ‘me’, it is ‘us’.”
Having been forced from a young age to be self-sufficient and fend for herself, it took Sanna a long time to trust the team and become part of it, rather than focusing on herself as an individual player.
“I am so proud. This is all. I never thought I would be here. Doing something like this – representing my home country, Finland. This is part of my journey, because I am still in the group and part of the tournament, so I have learnt a lot about myself, and now I want to give back.”
“I never thought I would be here. Doing something like this – representing my home country, Finland.”
From the woman who described herself as a hermit, Sanna is now at the heart of the action and thinks everyone can believe in something better.
“Everything is possible. As long as you are alive, there is hope.”
And she adds, “People are always welcome to come and play football with us and connect with others.”
Find out more about Homeless Academy Association’s work in Finland and how they’re using football to end homelessness and tackle social isolation.
Words: Rebecca Corbett