The Balancing Act

People often assume that fencing is just a fun hobby I picked up after watching too many action movies, but for me, it’s more like a second home. Balancing school, training, and competitions isn’t easy, but then again, neither is doing a perfect fleche. And yet, here we are.

Morning Routines and Mental Fortitude

My day starts before the sun does. My alarm goes off at 5:30, out the door by 6:15 for an early morning workout of strength training. I try to sneak in a few sips of my second breakfast (a smoothie) in the car and maybe a mental replay of last week’s tournament. School days are a marathon, and by the time I hit fourth period, I’m already calculating how much energy I need to save for footwork drills later.

Training: Where Sweat Meets Strategy

Classes runs four days a week at my fencing club, mixed in with open fencing and private lessons the rest of the week. All in all, I’m at the club 6 days a week. It’s not just about slashing a blade around; it’s focus, reflex, and reading your opponent like a textbook. My coach always says fencing is "physical chess," and honestly, it feels like that when you’re three points down and trying to outthink someone who’s just as tired as you.

Competitions and Catching Up

Tournaments usually eat up entire weekends and the occasional Friday and Monday. The travel sometimes starts on Fridays, early in the morning, and involves long waiting periods, and a burst of adrenaline before every bout. I’ve become a master of doing PreCalc homework on the side between pools and DEs. There’s a kind of rhythm to it: study, suit up, salute, fence, repeat.

How I Keep It Together

The truth is, I’ve learned to prioritize like a champ. Some nights I don’t finish every reading assignment. Some mornings, I’m running on a double shot of espresso and pure willpower. But I keep going because fencing teaches you more than how to win - it teaches you how to fight, focus, and figure it out.

Being a student-athlete has taught me more than any textbook could: how to manage stress, stay organized, and believe in my own resilience. It's not always glamorous but it's always worth it.

I may not always find the perfect balance, but I’ve found the grit to keep going. And for now, that’s enough.