Nelli Differt’s strong showing at the Olympics highlights the importance of supporting athletes

“I’ve always been the kind of person who commits 100% to any goal I set myself,” says Nelli Differt, the only Estonian fencer to qualify for the Paris Olympics. “My one big goal was to get to the Games and to do well there. I did everything I could to make that happen. I honestly believe you can achieve anything if you put your all into it.”

Holm Bank agrees, which is why it started supporting Nelli at a time when it was unclear whether any Estonian fencers would make it to the Olympics. “Recognising a good plan when you see it and playing a part in making it happen is important to us here at Holm,” says CEO Kaspar Kalvet. “Haapsalu has always been well represented in fencing, and we’ve supported fencers in the past. So when the opportunity arose to help another talented, hard-working local athlete qualify for a world-class competition, we were more than happy to do our bit. As Estonia’s own bank, we want to ensure that the ambitious plans of people in the country aren’t held back by their finances.”

Haapsalu is very important to Nelli. “I love that it’s my hometown,” she says. “I still live here. It’s such a beautiful place. I love the fact as well that it’s spawned businesses that are doing well and are willing to support me on my journey, because by working together we’re helping to create even more of a buzz about the place.”

Nelli says the Olympics confirmed for her something she already knew: that if you do everything consistently and according to plan, your hard work will bear fruit. “Supporters play a very important role, of course, since it’s thanks to them that you can even commit yourself to your sport in the first place,” she adds. “I’m hugely grateful that Holm took me under their wing and helped me with my plans to make it to Paris. I love the bank’s innovative spirit and how much they care about the community. That’s how you create opportunities and make the living environment better for everyone.”

Although preparing for the Olympics was much like preparing for the annual World Championships, Nelli reveals that she did make some changes to her training and diet. “For fencers, qualification lasts for a whole year, which means you have to be in top shape and perform to a high level that entire time,” she says. “I loved the competition at the Olympics, and the atmosphere there as a whole, like one big sports party. It was a rollercoaster of emotions, and it was nice to be able to offer that experience to the spectators as well. I want to keep Estonian fencing right up there among the world’s best. Once I’ve got some R&R, I’ll start prepping for the new season and do my best to qualify for the title competitions next summer.”

Nelli urges young people who are trying to find the sport or hobby for them to consider fencing. “It was how exciting the whole thing is that drew me into it when I first gave it a go,” she smiles. “Fencing is a technical and tactical sport that requires both patience and endurance. The training you do for it is quite varied and promotes a lot of physical development. It’s a sport that just about anyone can do. All you really need is to be interested in it – and once you give it a try and start appreciating the nuances of it, that interest grows very quickly!”