ʃiː wʌz bˈɔːɹn ɪn nɪvˈɑːlə, ænd wʌz dˈɑːmɪnənt wˈɪmɪnz kɹˈɔskˈʌntɹi skˈiːɪŋ ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti z, ˈɜːnɪŋ fˈaɪv wˈɪntɚɹ əlˈɪmpɪk mˈɛdəlz ænd fˈoːɹ ˌɛfˌaɪˈɛs nˈoːɹdɪk wˈɜːld skˈiː tʃˈæmpiənʃˌɪps mˈɛdəlz ɡˈoʊldz ɪn fˈaɪv kˌeɪˈɛm ænd fˈoːɹ tˈaɪmz fˈaɪv kˌeɪˈɛm ɹˈiːleɪ bˈoʊθ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti ˈeɪt, ænd bɹˈɑːnzᵻz ɪn θɹˈiː tˈaɪmz fˈaɪv kˌeɪˈɛm ɹˈiːleɪ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti, tˈɛn kˌeɪˈɛm nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈoːɹ, ænd twˈɛnti kˌeɪˈɛm nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti ˈeɪt..
She was born in Nivala, and was dominant women's cross-country skiing in the 1970s, earning five Winter Olympic medals and four FIS Nordic World Ski Championships medals (golds in 5 km and 4 × 5 km relay (both 1978), and bronzes in 3 × 5 km relay (1970), 10 km (1974), and 20 km (1978).).