Elin Kallio

Elin Kallio (23 April 1859 Helsinki, Finland – 25 December 1927, Helsinki) was a celebrated pioneering Finnish gymnast. She is considered the founder of the women’s gymnastic movement in Finland.

Kallio in 1882–83

Kallio on a 1959 Finnish stamp

Kallio was educated at the Stockholm Royal Gymnastic Institute. She was a gymnastics instructor for thirty-four years at private Finnish girls schools and at the University of Helsinki. She founded the first Finnish association for female gymnasts in 1876 and this developed into the Federation of Finnish Women Gymnasts in 1896.

Kallio wrote extensively on the subject of gymnastics and women's physical education.

In 1959, a hundred years after her birth she was commemorated on a Finnish postal stamp.

Further reading

• Famous Women on stamps Elin Kallio Accessed February 2009
• Elin Kallion Voimistelujärjestelmä − Suomalaisen Naisvoimistelun Perusta, Aino Sarje, 2008 . With English translation.
• "Elin Kallio". Pieni Tietosanakirja [Small Lexicon] (in Finnish). Vol. 2. Project Runeberg. 1925–1928.
• "Naisvoimistelun käsikirja" ("Women's gymnastics Handbook."), 1901
• "Voimistelun käsikirja. Etupäässä naisseminaarien ja kansakoulujen tarpeeksi" (Gymnastics Handbook. Mainly of seminars for women and people of school age), 1909
• "Komentoharjoituksia" ("Command Exercises"), 1924