Esther Veldstra is now the head of the HMBIA Communication Committee. In 2016 she was captain of the national team of the Netherlands for the battle of the Nations, but her own BotN journey began in 2015. She came to Prague as a member of the national team and and competed in women’s duels and the first women’s buhurt. So, what were her first impressions?

“I had no idea what I was getting in to. It was amazing and terrifying and exhilarating and overwhelming. I should never have jumped in like that. It was madness. Best decision I ever made!” she recalls. 

The Dutch athlete faced Tatiana Guseva from Russia in duels. At the moment Tatiana was one of the best fighters of the world and it wasn’t easy to compete against her. Esther remember that duels were gruesome. She knocked out of the tournament in the second fight against Tatiana.

After the duel fights Esther prepared herself to buhurts. The experience was a fantastic one! She entered the lists and totally fell in love with HMB.

“It was new but really exciting. I remember how it started to rain when I walked back to camp after Buhurt and feeling like I was the happiest person on the planet. Everything was hot and sandy and the gentle rain felt like a blessing”.

It was her first Battle of the Nations experience. Next year she came to Prague as a captain of the National team. That 2015 was the first step to the heights positions of the HMBIA. And she goes through these steps with honor.

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