With fencing in the Olympic spotlight, this Tecumseh, Ont., teen travels to Detroit for the sport
As fencing steps into the Canadian Olympic spotlight, those hoping to give the sport a shot in Windsor can't just hop into a pool or hit the track. They're in for a bit of a drive.
Eleanor Harvey of Hamilton, Ont., won Canada its first ever medal in the sport last week, securing a bronze in the women's foil event.
"I didn't really expect it, but yeah, it's pretty cool to see," said Andrew Massimino, a 15-year-old fencer from Tecumseh, Ont.
Massimino travels across the border to the Detroit suburb of Troy, Mich., to fence at Renaissance Fencing Club, the closest fencing club to Windsor.
The drive isn't a problem and Massimino says he has plenty of friends in the sport. But it would be cool, he says, to have more of a fencing scene in Windsor.
Massimino says he's been fencing for years, and got started at the suggestion of his sister. He suspects she had watched the Lindsay Lohan movie The Parent Trap at the time, which features the two long-lost twin sisters fencing at their summer camp. Now, he's part of the club's elite class.
The origins of fencing go back hundreds of years, to medieval sword fighting — and the sport was one included in the first modern Olympic games in 1896.
His friends know he fences, he says, but many are more preoccupied with other sports.
Ann Marsh-Senic (right) is one of the coaches at Renaissance Fencing Club who competed in the sport at two Olympic Games. She says the sport is growing, and the club gets lots of Canadians interested in fencing each year. (Submitted by Ann Marsh-Senic)
"I don't think any of them really watch it. They're not paying much attention to it, which, it doesn't bother me," he said. "Most of them played soccer and hockey, but in Michigan, I know a lot of people that watch fencing just for fun."
Ann Marsh-Senic is one of the coaches at Renaissance. She started fencing in 1984 and has competed in the sport at two Olympic Games, in 1996 and 2000.
Fencing is a growing sport, coach says
She fenced with an up-and-coming Harvey, and Harvey has visited Renaissance to fence in the past.
"I know it's been a really long journey for her. She's greatly improved and I was so happy to see her get the medal," Marsh-Senic said.
Ann Marsh-Senic is a fencing coach at Renaissance Fencing Club. She competed at both the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games, and is pictured here before the the 2000 Olympic opening ceremony in Sydney. (Submitted by Ann Marsh-Senic)
Marsh-Senic says the club sees plenty of interest each year in Canadians, both youth and adults, coming to fence at Renaissance despite the drive. The closest Canadian fencing clubs are in London.
"So I started fencing in 1984 and I think that there's about 100 times the number of fencers now," she said, noting the United States won the gold and silver medals in the women's individual foil event where Harvey won bronze.
"I think, for me, to go from fencing being a European-centred sport to having like this hemisphere take all three medals was a monumentous occasion."
Fencing suitable for all types of athletes
While the sport is highly athletic — Massimino says it's a great workout — Marsh-Senic also notes that unlike many sports, you don't need a specific body type to have a chance at excellence in fencing.
"You don't have to be tall or a certain weight category. So anybody can use the things that they're naturally good at to excel in fencing," she said. "If you're small, you tend to have more of a tricky game. Or if you're tall, you're going to use your length.
"But of course it demands a very high level of physical fitness at that level."
For those thinking about fencing, Massimino says he recommends the sport because he "can't really imagine not doing it."
"I suggested mostly because of the friendships, but also because it's just a really cool sport to try," he said. "I have a great time when I'm doing it."
