After a year of hard work and practice, UI Freshman Lucinda Meshberg fought all the way to the podium and earned second place at the Fencing Inland Empire Divisional Qualifying event in Women’s Foil.
The competition was held in Spokane on April 13, with competitors from North Idaho, Eastern Washington and Montana.
A Freshman majoring in History, Lucinda Meshberg joined the club at the beginning of fall semester, having always wanted to try fencing but never having the opportunity before coming to UI.
“I’ve always been interested in fencing, but there wasn’t a club near where I lived,” Meshberg said. “So, when I was able to join the club here I was a complete beginner. I just started learning advances, retreats, lunges and reposts right away, and I still have a lot to learn.”
Meshberg explained that preparing for a competition like the one earlier this month required consistent practice and discipline.
“We have practice every week, and I try not to change anything about my routine. The term ‘practice how you play’ is really applicable here,” Meshberg said.
The President of the UI Fencing Club, Kyra Young, who also competed in the Divisional Qualifiers, explained that joining the fencing club has enhanced her time at the UI.
“My freshman year, I was trying a bunch of different things. I wanted to see if I could find something that interests me. And I was also just chasing experiences to make me a better writer, and I thought that by joining fencing club I could write better fight scenes,” Young said. “I really got hooked, and now I can write better fight scenes and fight better.”
Both Young and Meshberg encourage any students who are interested to step out of their comfort zone and give the fencing club a try. The club is open to all students and community members, so there are members from across the area and of all ages.
“The club is open to everyone, which means undergrad, grad students, people who live in Moscow and even those who don’t,” Young said. “So, anyone from the age of 11 and up, because fencing is a lifelong sport.”
Meshberg agreed that fencing is something that she hopes to participate in for the rest of her life.
“I hope to do it for my whole life, just because I really enjoy it,” Meshberg said. “I mean, since our club is open to the community we have a lot of older members, and it’s something you can do throughout your whole life.”
Meshberg reiterated that while fencing may seem intimidating at first, the club members are welcoming and happy to teach beginners the basics.
“If it’s something you’re interested in, there’s no reason not to give it a try,” Meshberg said. “Because the people at the club are super nice and they’ll teach you everything. We’re all really excited when new people come because it’s an opportunity for us to practice our basics, and then we get a new person to fight.”
Practices are open for anyone to come observe or get taught the basics of fencing, and anyone interested is encouraged to come and give it a try. A coach or more experienced members are always happy to teach beginner skills to new fencers.
“If you feel like you just want to try things, then go for it and try it out. I was really timid at first. I would flinch a lot but then I realized it doesn’t hurt at all, it just looks scary,” Young said. “Once you learn more and you get more competent, you will get more confident. The learning curve is very steep, but everyone goes through it. If you like it and you have fun doing it, just ride the curve.”
The club practices from 4:30-6:30 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the Physical Education Building room 111. Anyone who is interested is encouraged to show up to any meeting, and those looking to get connected can also reach out to the Fencing Club email at [email protected].
“At the heart of it, fencing is just a really fun sport,” Young said. “It’s easy to learn, hard to master, but there’s no waiting for someone to pass you the ball. It’s always your turn, you’re always on the court, and that’s the fun of it.”
Grace Giger can be reached at [email protected]