PODCAST: Rise of fencing in Sammamish
One month ago, Skyline High School student Ketki Ketkar won a bronze medal at the Junior & Cadet World Fencing Championships in Cairo, Egypt. Her success is the tip of the iceberg, where a growing fencing community in Sammamish is thriving and producing many fencers who are competing at top levels of the sport.
Fencing is an attractive sport for those not interested in traditional team sports as it has no de facto gender, height or size restrictions. Though time consuming and costly, it also provides a great opportunity for honing concentration, speed, flexibility and balance.
Traditionally viewed as an elitist sport, fencing was dominated by European nobles and then used as a form of stage entertainment. However, the sport also has roots in other countries such as India and China. With the influx of Asian immigrants to Sammamish, the sport has gained a diverse following.
The Indy on Air podcast team interviewed a competitive fencer, a coach, a fencing mom, and our very own editor (who is also a fencer) to talk about why they love playing with swords and what it takes to compete. Guests include:
- Aidan Holmes, Competitive Fencer, Salle Auriol Seattle
- Mark Lundborg, CEO & Coach, Washington Fencing Academy
- Anuradha Shenoy, mother to two youth fencers
If you are interested in learning about the sport, here are a few local fencing clubs:
