After some 18 years away from the sport of fencing I was not a healthy person!
I was overweight, lacking in energy and definately a heart-attack waiting to happen....
Late in 2007 the World Veteran Fencing Championships were being held in Sydney and a group of old fencing friends fromt he UK were in Australia to compete. I was contacted and pursuaded to go up to Sydney and have a look.
That was all it took!
First thing I did in 2008 was get back into training. Close friend and three time Olympian Helen Smith agreed to coach me and I dragged by blubber onto the piste in the hot Australian summer to start the process.
I was amazed at how much was still in the brain and muscle memory! The only problem was convincing the body it could actually do what the brain was telling it. I huffed and I puffed and I went very red in the face but we kept on working and within 3 months I was ready to try my first competition again - a small state event to see how I managed.
I squeezed my body into the fencing jacket (made of kevlar and very unforgiving) and had to cope with not breathing until I could take it off again. I came third!
In April 2008 I won my first National Veteran Competition - narrowly but a win is a win! The fencer was back in town!!
Since then I have gone from strength to strength. I train regularly with the National High Performance Squad (the youngsters who are aiming for the Olympics) and while they regularly beat me up I do sometimes hold my own and it is a good challenge to them so have to use more that their youth and speed to beat me!
I have won every National Competition for Veterans in Australia now, including the National Championships. I have represented Australia at the Veteran World Championships but the height of my new resurgence in the sport came in July of this year when I came home from the Commonwealth Championships with 3 gold medals!
I won my individual event (epee), my age group and lead Australia to a win in the team epee also.
Not bad for an old girl after such a long break. And what is next? Defending my National Title this year; defending my Commomwealth Tittle next year and getting that elusive top 8 result in the World Championships.
Most of all, however, I cannot believe how much I am enjoying myself and that is worth gold every single day!
