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En Garde! A look into Ava Rose’s Fencing Journey


A day for Archer sophomore Ava-Rose Beech ’16 is different than that of many others. We all get relief from stress in some way or another, whether it be playing a game of soccer or listening to music. In Beech’s case, it’s going head-to-head with an opponent in an intense fencing match.

Fencing is an activity that takes up most of Beech’s time. She fences Monday through Saturday each week, with competitions on Sundays. She fences in a group class; members practice footwork, drilling and “bouting,” which is “just fencing like you would do in a competition,” Beech told the Oracle.

Beech poses in front of an Olympic flag. Photographer: Anastasia Ivanoff
Beech poses in front of an Olympic flag. Photographer: Anastasia Ivanoff

She typically has a private fencing lesson immediately after the group class. She says, “These lessons can be really helpful to talk to my coach and get feedback and also target things I need to work on in my fencing.”

There is a truly competitive nature to fencing.  In addition to the regional competitions that take place most Sundays, there are more intense competitions called NACs, or North American Cups.  These are national competitions in different states that occur about once a month. Beech explains, “There are usually about 120 or more of the best fencers in the U.S. at national competitions. They are really nerve-wracking and there’s a lot of pressure because national competitions are really important.”

Despite the nerves, Beech has gained a lot from fencing. She told the Oracle, “I have many favorite parts of fencing. One of them would definitely be the determination and focus it gives me that I don’t think I could get from anything else. I’ve also gained a lot of confidence because I’ve learned over the years that you need to be sure of yourself when you’re fencing.”

Beech and a fencing friend after a practice match. Photographer: Bianca Costin
Beech and a fencing friend after a practice match. Photographer: Bianca Costin

In addition to the confidence she’s gained, she has come in contact with a community that has welcomed her with open arms. She says, “I met my closest friends through fencing and we are such a tight knit supportive group. Even though fencing is an individual sport, we always cheer each other on at competitions, hang out after practice and support each other.”

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About the Contributor
Sarah Wagner, Editor-in-Chief
Sarah Wagner graduated in 2016. She was the Co-Editor-In-Chief of the Oracle in 2015-2016 along with Syd Stone. In her sophomore and junior years, she served as the News and Features editor. In 2014, she worked as an intern at the local paper The Brentwood News. Outside of the Oracle, she was a volunteer at the teen hotline Teenline, Co-President of the Student store, a member of the debate team and a PAWS peer tutor.

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As part of Archer’s active and engaged community, the Editorial Board welcomes reader comments and debate and encourages community members to take ownership of their opinions by using their names when commenting. However, in order to ensure a diverse range of opinions, the editorial board does allow anonymous comments on articles as long as the perspective cannot be obtained elsewhere, and they are respectful and relevant. We do require a valid, verified email address, which will not be displayed, but will be used to confirm your comments. Because we are a 6-12 school, the Editorial Board reserves the right to omit profanity and content that we deem inappropriate for our audience. We do not publish comments that serve primarily as an advertisement or to promote a specific product. Comments are moderated and may be edited in accordance with the Oracle’s profanity policy, but the Editorial Board will not change the intent or message of comments. They will appear once approved.
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    Rhonda LeshmanJan 31, 2014 at 9:59 am

    Thanks Sarah for giving us good insights into Ava Rose’s extracurricular life outside of Archer. Well done!

    Reply