Don’t Fence Me In

A girl competing in sports is commonplace, especially in soccer, volleyball, ice skating, or even swimming. However, when almost all the participants in a sport are guys, that sport becomes a little more challenging.

With fencing there are so few girls who compete that it is a cause for celebration whenever another girl joins my fencing club. While Presentation girls get many opportunities to be with boys—like dances, football games, and through friends—competing directly against them in an aggressive sport can be nerve-wracking. Not only is it fast-paced, but strength and endurance are required to ultimately be victorious. Boys usually have the advantage in those areas, but instead I use my mental abilities and fast footwork to hold my own. It is difficult to keep up with the quick pace that the boys set, but using brain power helps me think of strategies to get away from their quick touches. I can get them where they least expect it: by analyzing what they do when they are fencing another opponent. Observation is key to figuring out the tactics needed to win the bout.

I have had several encounters with guys who say to their friends around them, “Oh, I’ll definitely win this one, she’s just a girl.” I never let this faze me because I just show them with my actions instead of using my words. They assume that just because I am female that I am not as capable at competing. But I sure do surprise them by the end of the bout. Even if I cannot defeat a highly ranked boy, I can usually convince him that he has his hands full. I feel proud when I hear respect in his voice when we congratulate each other at the end of a bout.

Most people do not know I am a national fencer. Fencing is not one of the most popular sports in this country. That may be because people don’t see as much about fencing in the media, as they do see of other popular sports. However, there are 20 clubs in the Bay Area, and of those two are in San Jose. When I was younger I tried a variety of sports typical of little girls: dance, gymnastics and volleyball. None of these really satisfied my need for competition though, and eventually I found my love in fencing. Now I proudly display the image of a fencing sword on my Presentation ring.