| Roles | Competed in Olympic Games |
|---|---|
| Sex | Male |
| Full name | Kustaa Ilmari•Pernaja |
| Used name | Ilmari•Pernaja |
| Born | 10 February 1892 in Kymi, Kotka, Kymenlaakso (FIN) |
| Died | 20 July 1963 (aged 71 years 5 months 10 days) in Rauma, Satakunta (FIN) |
| Measurements | 168 cm |
| Affiliations | Lahden Ahkera, Lahti (FIN) |
| NOC |  Finland |
| Medals | OG |
| Gold | 0 |
| Silver | 1 |
| Bronze | 0 |
| Total | 1 |
Ilmari Pernaja grew up in Lahti, where he attended the local comprehensive school. There, he became a versatile athlete and practised gymnastics, athletics, swimming, skating, and skiing. In 1912, he was a member of the Finnish gymnastics team that won silver behind Norway in the free system at the Olympic Games in Stockholm.
Pernaja, who was the son of a sawmill manager, started working for Rauma Wood Ltd, a company active in the forestry industry. During World War I, he was a sailor. He then pursued maritime training, completing his sea captain’s degree at the Rauma Maritime School in 1922. For the next two years, he was a mate and sea captain. From 1925-29, he worked on a loading dock in Koivisto, now Primorsk in Russia. He then returned to his profession as a sea captain until 1944. After World War II, he moved to Rauma again and worked for the F. W. Hollming shipyard.
In 1926, he married Helmi Laura Yrjönen. Together, they had four children.
| Games | Discipline (Sport) / Event | NOC / Team | Pos | Medal | As | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 Summer Olympics | Artistic Gymnastics (Gymnastics) | FIN |
Ilmari Pernaja | |||
| Team, Men (Olympic) | Finland | 2 | Silver |
