With the new fencing facility and a head fencing coach on the horizon, the 5 remaining members of last year’s fencing team have been training for their first competition in their current abode with a dedicated volunteer coach who has driven from Greensboro twice per week for the past 4 weeks!
With just 6 competitions (with 2 of them being the Championships), the chance to compete against other individuals is limited but extremely valuable. The boys have been resourceful in their planning and preparation phase, and have adapted successfully to these short term changes.
Unfortunately only 3 could travel which left us 1 short of needing a full team. The boys knew this would be tough with little to no downtime between the 4 matches. There was a lot to learn, and the opportunity to witness some top level competition. There was even a para athlete World Champion among the competitors!
The boys fought bravely and came away with some important feedback. They know now what to focus on as they compete again in 2 weeks! I do not have their scores but we all agreed it is a base to build from.
Thank you to the many supporters who came out to view the boys. Dr Tung took a lot better photos than what I can provide! A couple of former employees came by to watch, with Ms. Levigion even baked some brownies! And of course DD for the extra support!
The end of the day was spent in a local Chinese restaurant where much laughter and camaraderie occurred. It was really great to witness and share these moments with the boys. The laughter continued on the bus ride home and even though the event did not go as planned, I feel that the social aspect is where the boys won!
