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| FENCER PROFILE: LOIS CHANG |
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The South West Region has many highly ranked fencers competing on the National and International competition circuit. So who are the top fencers in the South West? What makes them better than the rest of us?
SouthWestFencing.Net will be meeting some of them over the next few months to see what makes them tick.
Our first Fencer Profile will be on Lois Chang who is the current British No.1 (November 2004) in Women's Foil.
Name: Lois Chang
Club: Bath Sword
Age: Very late 20's...
Weapon: Foil
Current British Ranking: 1 (Nov 2004)
Coach: Neil Brown
When did you start fencing?
I started fencing when I started University in 1992.
How did you get interested in fencing?
I saw the film “Sweet Liberty” starring Michael Caine. The film is a story about the production of a film about the US Civil War. During the film, Michael Caine does some fencing. I wanted to start fencing then, but there weren’t any clubs close to where we lived.
What was your first "fencing memory"?
Going to watch the fencing team “try-outs” when I got to University. I remember watching a guy, wearing white and yellow striped socks, fencing foil with lots of weird flicky hits to his opponents shoulder/back – wasn’t quite the image of Michael Caine in “Sweet Liberty”! Twelve years on, I have been married to that same man for over seven years (although the stripey socks are LONG gone!).
What aspect of fencing do you enjoy most/least?
I love the adrenalin buzz that you get when you are fencing really well: when your distance and timing are spot on, you move with athleticism and speed, and your hand is so smooth and accurate. Sometimes, everything just seems to come together and go right.
I dislike getting injuries – anything that interferes with training or competing.
It is rumoured you were an epeeist once, what made you change to foil?
Maybe I was….! I like the principles of “Right of Way” in foil: it makes it easier for fencers to be very proactive and use speed and athleticism to beat their opponents.
When did you do your first competition?
My first competition was the British Universities championships. I had only been fencing for three months, but had a fantastic time! The buzz and excitement of the competition turned into an addiction.
What are your best competition results?
Being a member of the England team which won the Gold medal at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in 2002. I also finished 10th in the individual event. The whole Commonwealth experience was completely amazing.
Winning the Silver medal at the British Championships in 2002 and becoming 1st in the British Senior Women’s Foil rankings (November 2004).
What do you think is needed to improve the standard of British Fencing?
More very good quality coaches and a more “all round” approach to training – fencers need to develop their fitness, speed, strength, agility, flexibility and psychology in addition to their technical skills.
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