In 1995 she became Nordic champion together with Anniina Paronen , Kirsi Tiira and Johanna Tiira in the second Finnish season. In 1996 and 1997 she was Finnish champion with the season of the Ankkuri fishing belt club , and in 1998 she won the Venla relay. She later switched to Espoon Suunta . In 2000 she started at the European Championships in Ukraine and finished 33rd in both the short and long distance. All the stronger was her appearance a year later when she won the silver medal at the home world championships in Tampere on the long distance. She was only three seconds behind the winner, Simone Niggli from Switzerland. She also started the season with Reeta Kolkkala , Liisa Anttila and Johanna Asklöf . The Finns relegated the teams of Sweden and Norway to their places with a lead of almost four minutes. At her second world championships in Västerås, Sweden in 2004, Mikkola won the bronze medal in the long distance. Three days later she won another silver medal with Minna Kauppi and Heli Jukkola as the starter of the Finnish relay. In 2008 she temporarily returned to the World Cup and, with a victory in the sprint, became the first Finnish champion in an individual competition. She started for the Kalevan Rasti club from Joensuu .
