Exceptional Life Courses

The aim of this book is to understand those complex life course mechanisms and processes that have led 78 athletes and 29 young artists to success in 2000s Finland. Besides the successful athletes, the researchers look into the dropout of 18 particular athletes. Furthermore, the research sheds light on the particular challenges faced by athletes with a multicultural background. The study is unique in the international context, as the researchers were able to reach an exceptionally large number of the best Finnish athletes and artists of different fields.