Tapio Valfrid Mäkelä was born on October 12, 1926, and died on May 12, 2016.

He was a Finnish former cross-country skier.

Tapio Mäkelä competed in the 1950s.

Tapio Mäkelä won the 4 x 10 km gold and the 18 km silver at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo.

He also won a gold in the 4 x 10 km relay at the 1954 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships.

Tapio Mäkelä passed away at 89 yrs old.