KIRPU Erika

Personal Information

Family Partner Enrico Garozzo

Residence Milan, ITA

Occupation Athlete, Business Owner, Communications Professional

Languages English, Estonian, Italian, Russian

Higher education Law - Tallinn University of Technology: Estonia

License number 22061992002

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Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport? She took up the sport at age seven, and began competing in 2004.

Why this sport? "My parents were both fencing coaches. They brought me to the salle as an infant, basically I grew up in the salle. I didn't even think I could be doing something else. As soon as they gave me my first epee, I realised it was mine and I would never let go of it."

Club / Team Circolo della Spada Mangiarotti [ITA] / Tartu Kalev [EST]:

Name of coach Kaido Kaaberma [national], EST; Enrico Garozzo [personal], ITA

Handedness Right

General Interest

Hero / Idol Korean fencer Oh Sang-Uk. (FIE Fencing Channel YouTube channel, 14 Jul 2021)

Sporting philosophy / motto "Out of difficulties grow miracles." (Facebook page, 13 Jun 2018)

Awards and honours In 2022 she received the Order of the White Star 2nd class in recognition of her services to the Estonian state following her gold medal in team epee at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (sport.delfi.ee, 21 Feb 2022)

She and her teammates Julia Beljajeva, Irina Embrich, and Katrina Lehis received the Best Female Multiple Athlete Event of Tokyo 2020 prize at the 2021 ANOC [Association of National Olympic Committees] Awards in Crete, Greece. (fie.org, 25 Oct 2021; anocolympic.org, 24 Oct 2021)

She was part of Estonia's Team of the Year for 2013, 2014, and 2017. (Facebook page, 18 Jun 2018; laanlane.ee, 27 Dec 2017)

She was named the 2014 Best Female Athlete in Estonia. (Facebook page, 18 Jun 2018)

Milestones Along with Julia Beljajeva, Irina Embrich, and Katrina Lehis, she was part of the women's epee team that won Estonia's first gold medal in fencing at the Olympic Games. They beat the Republic of Korea in the final at the 2020 Games in Tokyo. (SportsDeskOnline, 06 Apr 2022; estonianworld.com, 27 Jul 2021)

Famous relatives Her partner Enrico Garozzo has represented Italy in fencing. He was part of the men's epee squad that won team silver at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Her late father Viktor represented Estonia in fencing and served as head coach of the Estonian fencing team. Her mother Irina Satanenko has worked as a fencing coach at the Tartu Kalev club in Estonia. (delfi.ee, 03 Jun 2020; sport.ohtuleht.ee, 11 Oct 2018; sport.delfi.ee, 27 Jun 2018; SportsDeskOnline, 15 Jun 2017; tartupostimees.ee, 20 Apr 2012)

Other information COACHED BY DAD
She was coached by her father Victor Kirpu during her junior and cadet years. In 2018 he passed away from lung cancer. "Though my childhood was cool, I still remember myself as being nervous and always unsatisfied. I don't even know why. Maybe it was because I didn't win. All of my life, I focused on the result. When I didn't win, everything seemed wrong to me. I drew my attention to all of the little things. Finally I started to show results in the cadets and juniors. My dad was the head coach of the Estonian junior and cadet teams and it was a great time for me, I call it my 'golden era'. We won many medals at the European championships, and once we even won the world junior championships in a team in 2010. It was a great period when I looked up to him all the time. He was an authority for me. In our club, he was an authority for everyone. This continued until about 2012, when I tried to qualify for the Olympic Games in London. I didn't qualify, but moved to senior level. When I told him that I probably needed something else, he understood and agreed with me. He said, 'That's all I can give you, and I don't mind if you want more'. My dad never left the role of a coach. It was impossible to pull him apart from this role in any way." (Betsafe Baltimaad YouTube channel, 13 Jan 2021; academyoffencingmasters.com, 23 Jul 2020; sport.err.ee, 11 Oct 2018)

ACADEMY
She co-founded the Future Champions Academy in Italy, which organises fencing camps and social events. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Mar 2024)

FURTHER EDUCATION, OCCUPATION
In November 2021 she began studying for a master's degree in digital communication and media. In 2023 she began working part-time as a press officer for the European Fencing Confederation. "I want to have some fallback so that my income doesn't fully depend on fencing." (LinkedIn profile, 01 Mar 2024; Betsafe Baltimaad YouTube channel, 13 Jan 2021)