Credit: Courtesy of Ella Neuman

WHS junior Ella Neuman prepares for a fencing match at a tournament. “In a tournament, there’s pools first, which is about five to six other people and you fence all of them to five touches,” Neuman said.

Family vacations aren’t typically where athletes find their sport, but for junior Ella Neuman, that’s where it all began. While on vacation, she was introduced to the sport of fencing by her family friend. Intrigued, she decided to try it out and quickly became hooked.

Different forms of sword fighting have been around for centuries. 3,000 years ago, the ancient Egyptians trained in sword fighting for military warfare and duels. The formation of modern fencing was in Europe during the Renaissance period. In the 16th century, Italian fencing masters helped to develop the three styles of fencing that exist today, including foil, épée and saber.

Fencing became a nationally organized sport in the United States in 1891. Five years later, the U.S. sent athletes to compete in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 that were held in Athens, Greece. The 1896 Games featured two types of fencing, foil and saber. Four years later, épée became part of Olympic fencing circuit as well.

Neuman competes in saber fencing which is different from its counterparts. In saber, an athlete can score a point using any part of the blade whereas in épée and foil, an athlete can only score a point by using the tip of their sword. According to Neuman, saber is fast and technical compared to the other types of fencing.

As fencing is not a school facilitated sport, Neuman trains at a club called Zeta Fencing in Ashland where she is a part of the Elite Class. The Elite Class is the highest level for fencers aged 11-18 who compete at both the national and international level. To get to the elite level, a coach has to recommend the athlete. Once a fencer makes the elite level, they train extensively and go to class five times a week.

As an elite level fencer, Neuman has a list of achievements, including making the second All American team and going to the Junior Olympics multiple times.

“[To make the Junior Olympics] you have to gain a certain amount of points throughout the season in order to qualify,” Neuman said.

The farther an athlete advances in a tournament, the more regional points they can acquire.

“In a tournament, there’s pools first, which is about five to six other people and you fence all of them to five touches,” Neuman said.

Based on the results from the pool round, fencers get placed into a bracket called a tableau. In the tableau, rounds go to 15 touches.

Fencing isn’t a team sport, but an individual one, so the pressure is all on the solitary athlete and they can’t rely on their teammates for help.

“Since it’s only you there, it’s not like you can rely on your team,” Neuman said. “If you do bad it’s on you. You have no one else to blame but yourself and that can really weigh on someone ”

The sense of individual responsibility is why Neuman believes that fencing is as much a mental sport as it is physical one.

“If you’re not confident in your actions and what you’re doing, you’re gonna lose before you even walk on to the strip,” Neuman said. “It’s all about [what’s in] your head.”

Neuman believes that a positive mindset is essential to being a successful fencer. If someone constantly doubts themselves, it can hinder improvement and create a mental barrier to success.

“Anything you tell yourself, you’re going to believe over time,” Neuman said. “[If you tell yourself] ‘I’m not good,’ over time it just leads you to believing that you’re not good.”

After seeing the toll that sports could take on an athlete’s mental health, Neuman set out to help create a supportive environment for athletes in her community. She helped to reinstate the Morgan’s Message chapter at WHS where she is one of the co-leaders.

“I just thought [mental health] was something that’s not talked about enough [in the athlete community],” Neuman said.

Neuman also coaches younger kids at her club, spreading her passion for fencing and mental health awareness in athletes.

“I love coaching them,” Neuman said. “It really helps implement structure and it’s very focused, especially when you start out.”