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Maya Jowers

R. Blake

English 2010-409-809

28 January 2020

Fencing: An Experience of a Lifetime

The satisfying noise of the thin, strong swords clashing. The tension of the blades locked

up against each other. The rush of adrenaline right before a bout. The burn in your legs as you

lunge towards your opponent. Sweating profusely under your mask when you are up against a

difficult opponent. Hearing your coach’s faint voice behind you. The buzzer going off as you

score a point. Taking off your sweaty mask at the end of a victory. Shaking the opponent’s hand.

The nervousness for the next bout. The thrill of the competition. Watching the other competitors

fight up and down the strip. The love for the sport. Fencing.

At the age of 13, I went to a fencing studio where my brothers had been fencing for a

month. I told my parents I wanted to see what it was like. I warmed up, stretched, and geared up.

Knickers, chest protector, underarm protector, knee-high socks, tennis shoes, jacket, mask, a

glove, and a blade. It all goes on for protection, and as I looked through the grid of the mask for

the first time, the spark of excitement and adrenaline started to kick in.

I was taught different defensive, offensive, and counter-offensive techniques. Given

different pointers, I started learning how to fence. It started with simple footwork, then arm

motions, then more complex combinations. I took it all in, trying to process and remember

everything I was learning.

It was a thrilling experience. After that first practice, I took off my mask and exclaimed,

“I love it!” to my very shocked parents. I was not the type of girl who liked getting sweaty and
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feeling gross. However, the exhilaration of it all, the fuel of the competition, the drive to do

better, the challenge of winning, and relying on yourself to become victorious, was invigorating.

I was strangely drawn to the sport.

From that moment on, I trained and competed for over a year. The rush of excitement and

adrenaline was the same every time I put that mask on. Whether I won or lost, I continued to

love the sport and the experience. It became a healthy outlet for my stress and frustration as I

channeled those feelings into my sword and released them as I hit my opponent. Regular exercise

kept me occupied and healthy as well as strengthened my muscles and endurance. I perfected

techniques and experimented with new strategies. I practiced and trained diligently to improve

my capabilities and also had the opportunity to practice with several world-renowned fencers.

A year into my fencing adventure, it was announced that the 2017 USA Fencing

Nationals would be held in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the history of Fencing Nationals, they had

never come to Utah. This was incredible! Competing in Nationals became my new goal and

focus. I upped the competitions I was in, I took more lessons from my coach, I exercised more,

and I studied different techniques. I spent much of my time training and gave it everything I had.

Despite the extensive practice and competitions, I kept coming up short. Very short. We

flew to San Francisco for a tournament but to no avail. Then, there was a qualifying match in

Kaysville. My brother automatically qualified for Nationals as there were not enough boys

signed up in his division. In my division, there were four girls. The top three, went to nationals.

One of us would not qualify. The pressure of this situation was running in the back of my head. I

had fenced the other girls before, to whom I had both won and lost to several times. I faired okay

in the preliminary bouts, then it came time for the final matches. It all came down to this. It was

all or nothing. My nerves were racked with tension and adrenaline. We kept scoring points back
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and forth, and then she got the final touch. Fourth place. I watched my dreams drop before my

eyes. Everything I had been working towards seemed to drop as my opponent scored that final

touch. Shaking hands, unhooking my blade from the wire, walking to meet my coach, I felt

discouraged. How could something I loved so much, something I wanted so badly, slip out of my

reach so easily?

As I watched my brother prepare to compete in the National tournament, I felt

discouraged, confused, heartbroken, and upset. I wanted so desperately to be the one competing

in a chance of a lifetime, but instead, I was on the sidelines. I kept fencing and practiced with my

brother. After much time and thought, I accepted how things played out. I continued fencing for

a few months after that. I came to accept that things happen for a reason and started to look for

other extracurricular activities I could join.

At around 15 and a half, I moved away from fencing and placed my focus elsewhere.

However, the lessons I learned from fencing were life lessons and have left an immense impact

on my view of the world. I think they are tips that we can each apply into every aspect of our

lives as we strive for excellence and start to come out of our comfort zones.

Fencing taught me to follow my heart. Do things you yearn to do. Do not wait for the

perfect opportunity or hold yourself back by thinking you are incapable of doing something. You

can always defy the odds. Sometimes you might be told you cannot or you are not good enough.

But if you have a desire, do it. As I once was told, “Doubt killed more dreams than failure ever

did.” Follow your heart, and it will take you to places beyond your wildest imaginations.

Fencing taught me to try new things, even if it may be terrifying. When you try new

things, you open yourself to new adventures and possibilities. It could be one the best decisions
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you ever make. As Dr. Seuss said, “If you never did, you should. These things are fun and fun is

good.” By allowing myself to step out of my comfort zone, I was able to find something I loved.

Fencing taught me the importance of perseverance and resilience. Things will not always

go as you plan, but you have to get back up. You have to rebound. You have to push forward.

You cannot give up if your opponent starts to win; you must change your game plan and try

again. If you lose one bout, that does not mean that you have to lose the rest of them. Fencing

taught me to overcome your obstacles.

Fencing taught me to put in my best effort. Give 100% in everything you do and despite

the outcome, you can walk away knowing you gave it your all. That does not just apply to sports,

but to everyday living. Strive to do things with purpose, conviction, and determination. Do all

that you can do and when all is said and done, you can feel accomplished knowing you did your

best.

Fencing taught me the importance of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Even though it

is an individual sport, you must practice and support your teammates. It taught me to supportive

and humble, despite the outcome. You are never better or worse than your opponent, we are all

here competing and trying to better our skills.

For real world application, everyone is equal and we are all in this bout of life.

Sometimes we compete against each other, we succeed and fail, we have our peaks and valleys,

as well as our struggles and strengths. Each of us has the power to do anything we set our mind

to. Do not give up. Just keep going, and let your heart guide you in this wild journey through life.

Some of the most unexpected adventures make for the best experiences.