Sari Essayah

Sari Essayah
Essayah in 2023
Minister of Agriculture and Forestry
Assumed office
20 June 2023
Prime MinisterPetteri Orpo
Preceded byAntti Kurvinen
Leader of the Christian Democrats
Assumed office
28 August 2015
Preceded byPäivi Räsänen
Member of the Parliament of Finland
Assumed office
28 April 2015
In office
19 March 2003 – 20 March 2007
Member of the European Parliament
In office
1 July 2009 – 1 July 2014
Personal details
Born (1967-02-21) 21 February 1967 (age 57)
Haukivuori, Finland
Political partyChristian Democrats
SpouseRobert Knapp
Children2
Sari Essayah
Sport
SportAthletics
EventRace walking
Medal record
Women's athletics
Representing  Finland
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 1991 Tokyo 10 km walk
Gold medal – first place 1993 Stuttgart 10 km walk
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 1994 Helsinki 10 km walk
World Race Walking Cup
Silver medal – second place 1993 Monterrey 10 km walk
Universiade
Bronze medal – third place 1989 Duisburg 5 km walk
Gold medal – first place 1991 Sheffield 10 km walk

Sari Miriam Essayah (born 21 February 1967) is a Finnish retired racewalker and a politician, former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Member of Parliament since 2015. She is the president of the Finnish Christian Democrats party. She is serving as Minister of Agriculture and Forestry since 2023.

During her sports career, Essayah competed mainly in 5 and 10 kilometres. In the latter, she won the World Championship in 1993 and the European Championship in 1994. She made seven national records, all of which are still standing.

In 2016, Essayah became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and she has been a member of the Ethics Committee, Finnish Athletics Association since 2014.[1]

  1. ^ "Sari Essayah". The International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 8 March 2021.