Category: Fencing & Life
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A Shared Journey Through the 2025 European Championships
With special thanks to Rhyannon Karney and Lukas Nemitsas, who shared their unforgettable experiences from the 2025 European Fencing Championships in Genoa with The Sword, July 2025. From Rhyannon Karney: As someone who came into fencing a little later than most, attending the 2025 European Fencing Championships in Genova, Italy, was nothing short of incredible.…
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Clash in the Castle 2025 Report
Photo “On the Castle”, Credit: Oliver Nute From Celtic Sword Fencing Club: Celtic Sword Fencing Club’s inaugural Clash in the Castle was held in the ruins of the beautiful Coity Castle on Sunday 22nd June 2025. Clash in the Castle is intended to be a friendly, invitation only, non-ranking match, giving fencers in South Wales…
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European Fencing Championships Rundown 2025
The European Fencing Championships took place this year in Genoa, Italy, from 14th to 19th June 2025, where Carolina Stutchbury made history. The highlight of the Euros was when Carolina Stutchbury became the first ever standing female fencer to win a European Championship silver medal in the Senior Women’s Foil. Having claimed bronze in 2024,…
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We Are Forging Futures: The Story So Far
Since its launch in 2022, We Are Forging Futures has gone from strength to strength. With 49 current partners and exceptional feedback from participants and staff alike, British Fencing (BF)’s educational brand has had a brilliant impact on schools across the UK and beyond. We Are Forging Futures was born from the previous ‘British Fencing…
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Wuxi 2025: Cadet & Junior Worlds Round-Up
Our Cadet and Junior fencers faced tough competition at this year’s World Championships. With many athletes achieving their personal best, the event equipped GBR with an immense amount of experience. This year’s event took place in Wuxi, China, on the 7th-15th April 2025. The Championships kicked off with the Junior Men’s and Women’s Individual Sabre…
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History Made at Antalya 2025 Euros
At an unprecedented Cadet & Junior Euros, our teams made history by becoming the first-ever GBR Junior European Champions. On the first day of the Junior team events, our Junior Men’s Epee team of Cador Beautyman, Alec Brooke, Tristan Lumineau and Sameer Sunder-Rajan made history becoming the first-ever European Champions in the team event. They…
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Interview: James-Andrew Davis
James-Andrew Davis, the 2014 European Champion, has officially retired from competition. Based in the USA for a number of years, he spoke to BF just after returning from the USA Nationals where he was coaching athletes from the Massialas Foundation, known as Mteam. He spoke to BF in July. You’re calling time on your career…
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Oliver Lam-Watson: a family story
Wheelchair fencer Oliver Lam-Watson qualified for his second Paralympic Games in June 2024, after competing and winning two team medals at Tokyo 2020. “What’s different about Paris to Tokyo? God, everything, I guess, and also nothing at the same time. There’s gonna be a crowd this time. We didn’t have that in Tokyo. There’s almost…
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Fencing For Change: Tsavora Mtaani
Since 2021, in a poverty-stricken part of Nairobi, Kenya, the Tsavora Mtaani Fencing Club aims to deliver hope and change. Organised by Kenyan international Mburu “Faruq Brown” Wanyoike, who came from a tough background in Nairobi, the club offers direction for younger people and – just maybe – the chance of a very different life.…
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Great Britain’s fencing team at Stockholm 1912: Unseen Photographs
British Fencing received an email from Carolyne Redmayne about a set of around 30 glass plates from the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, which show the British fencing team in action and at rest. We have reproduced a selection of the 30 images below, with some of the team identified where possible (with thanks to Malcolm…
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David Shalit: The Youngest Olympic Judge?
The Sword was recently contacted by the family of one David Shalit, who believed he was the youngest person ever to judge at an Olympics, when he officiated at the 1948 Games in London, aged just 17. We spoke to Mr Shalit and his daughter Belinda along with fencing historian Malcolm Fare in March 2024…
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Muslim Girls Fence: Into 2024 And Beyond
“I do think Islamophobia has affected young people’s mental health. I think that this is something that is rising sadly, we don’t feel safe, or listened to or understood, which kind of makes it worse. That’s why it’s so nice having this club, we can just be ourselves, say what we want to say…