Schoolchildren May Define Goals with the Help of Gerd Kanter’s Book

Nordea Bank is happy to announce that all 585 Estonian school libraries will gain a wonderful book.
Nordea Bank will give the school libraries the book „15 Steps to Victory“ by Olympic Champion Gerd Kanter. Kanter and the head of Nordea Bank Estonia Vahur Kraft delivered the books to Minister of Education and Research Tõnis Lukas today, during the public sports event Rat Race in Tallinn Town Hall Square.

„Gerd Kanter is a great role model for the youth – especially with his calm temper and quick mind. He has nothing in common with the popular anecdote sportsman who was training while everyone else was getting their smarts. Kanter’s “15 Steps to Victory” is a useful handbook for young people, teaching them how to define goals, believe in their attainability, and carry one’s plans through,” said the Minister of Education and Research Tõnis Lukas. “I thank Nordea Bank for making this teaching available to Estonian schools!” he added.

The head of Nordea Bank Estonia Vahur Kraft said that Nordea values active lifestyle and sports. “In addition to supporting the Olympic champion Gerd Kanter, it is important for us to help the new generation to reach for the stars! We believe that athletic aspirations are a good method for putting one’s abilities to test and using one’s willpower in developing one’s character. Every young person may have an olympic medal or another sort of achievement up their sleeve. This book helps young people to learn how to define and attain goals. We hope that the bug of healthy lifestyle will catch on to more and more people from the different regions of Estonia,” Kraft said. According to Kraft, we must strengthen our belief in that where there is a will, there is a way. “We have to look into the future no matter whether the times are good or hard! Only cooperation and pooling of resources will enable us to conquer hardships and attain growth, be it athletic or economic. Young people are those whose innovative ideas will help us in the future,” Kraft said.

Olympic Champion Gerd Kanter said that he was very happy that even in difficult economic times, Nordea has decided to help him and support his goals. “After I won the silver medal at Helsinki World Championships (2005), I was often asked to meet with different people. I believe, it is my duty to go to schools as much as possible, and – surprise, surprise – my simple thoughts were taken very seriously,” Kanter says in the introduction to the book. Now schoolchildren have a chance to explore the rules Gerd Kanter has followed to become an Olympic Winner on their own.

“I hope that this book is of use to young people and that it will help many of them in setting their future goals,” the Olympic Champion added.
At the end of this February, Nordea bank concluded a tripartite cooperation agreement with Gerd Kanter and Estonian Athletics Association, this becoming the main sponsor of Gerd Kanter. Kanter’s book “15 Steps to Victory” is now electronically available in Nordea’s online business journal Majandaja at www.majandaja.ee.

Pictures from the event