Sophie Williams Blog

How I Got Into Fencing

The first time I ever fenced was at the age of 6 when I took it up as an after school activity. I only did it for a term but then came back to it four years later at the same school., doing the same activities programme. This time I didn’t give it up and after I left junior school, I joined Bath Sword Club, which was the nearest club to me.

Once at senior school my passion for the sport developed and I started entering competitions, competing at my first international at an event in France at the age of 11. To my utter dismay I came last but this is only increased my determination to do better next time. I did that same international four times and in my last year - when I was 14 - I came third. By this stage I was competing at many cadet (Under 17) internationals in countries such as Hungary, Germany, France and Italy. It was in that season that I frist competed at a Junior (Under 20) international and almost qualified for the Cadet World Championship, only missing out by one place. I continued to develop within fencing, competing in the Junior European Championships in November 2006, only to have a massive setback in December that year when I dislocated my kneecap while competing in France. But I came back even more determined - and in 2007 I managed to qualify for the Cadet World Championships as well as finishing second in the Senior National Championships.

At 17, I am now too old for Cadets but I competed in the Junior World Championships earlier this year. My next major event is the Junior European Championships and hopefully I will be able to put in a good performance.