Elin Kallio

Elin Kallio on the 1959 Finnish postage stamp

Elin Kallio (born 1859, Finland - died 1927, Finland) was an celebrated pioneering Finnish gymnast. She is considered the founder of the women’s gymnastic movement in Finland.

Kallio was educated at the Stockholm Royal Gymnastic Institute. She was a gymnastics instructor for thirty-four years at 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.

References

• Elin Kallio at the Brooklyn Museum Dinner Party database of notable women. Accessed February 2009
• Famous Women on stamps Elin Kallio Accessed February 2009
• ELIN KALLION VOIMISTELUJÄRJESTELMÄ − SUOMALAISEN NAISVOIMISTELUN PERUSTA by AINO SARJE 2008

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