NEPower sets out for Sulkava Grand Rowing Festival again – now targeting 35 kilometers

NEPower sets out for Sulkava Grand Rowing Festival again – now targeting 35 kilometers
NEPower will participate in the Sulkava Grand Rowing Festival again this summer with its own representative team. Last year’s successful 25-kilometer row, the third-place finish, and, above all, the strengthened team spirit created a strong foundation for continuation.

This summer, the bar is being raised even higher. The team is setting out to target a longer, 35-kilometer distance.

Last year’s experience built a foundation for a new level
Last summer, the NEPower team participated in the Sulkava Grand Rowing Festival for the first time. The journey began as an idea but quickly grew into a collective project for the entire organization.

The team consisted of 14 people from different parts of the company. Included were installers, design engineers, office staff, and management. Training began months before the event, and the shared effort was quickly reflected in daily work life as well.

The rowing project was a visible joint activity in everyday life. Training was discussed at coffee tables, the group sparred with one another, and a new kind of collective drive emerged in their work. On the day of the competition, everything clicked into place. The team rowed the 25-kilometer distance to a third-place finish with a time of 2:16:30.

But perhaps the most important thing was not the ranking. The most important thing was the experience of what can be achieved together.

Further this year – literally
The goal for the coming summer is a 35-kilometer row. It requires more endurance, better rhythm, and even stronger cooperation.

Preparations are already underway.

Training consists of rowing, developing muscular fitness, and honing technique. At the same time, they are building what ultimately matters most: trust within the team.

Rowing is extreme teamwork. In the boat, no one wins through individual performance. Pace, rhythm, and mutual support are the deciding factors.

Interview with Team Leader Jani Kujala
We asked Team Leader Jani Kujala what this year’s project is actually about.

Why did you decide to join again?
”Last year’s experience was exceptional. It was a project that united the entire organization. We saw concretely what happens when people commit to a common goal. You don’t build that with PowerPoint; you build it by doing.”

What does the 35-kilometer distance mean for the team?
”It means we have to take our performance to the next level. More training, better planning, and, above all, even stronger cooperation. This is not an individual sport, and you cannot hide here. Everyone affects the final result.”

What lessons from this can be taken into professional life?
”This is a direct mirror of execution. We can have the best strategy in the world, but ultimately, what matters is how it is put into practice. A clear goal, commitment, rhythm, and focus. These are exactly the same things in the boat and in professional life.”

What is this year’s goal?
”Of course, we want to succeed competitively as well. But the most important goal is the same as last year: to do this together as well as we possibly can. When that is realized, the results will follow.”

A challenge to companies in the Vaasa region
NEPower challenges all companies in the Vaasa region to join the Sulkava Grand Rowing Festival 2026. Assemble your own team. Start challenging yourselves. Build team spirit in a way that is not born in a meeting room.

The Sulkava Grand Rowing Festival offers a unique opportunity to combine physical performance, teamwork, and a shared goal.

See you at Sulkava!