My Hero

She took a wrong turn and stumbled into a recreation room with a very interesting kind of people. People with swords and funny white uniforms. But ironically enough, her taking that wrong turn helped her land in the olympics.

My public hero is Rebecca Ward. She is the third best womens sabreist in the world and she is only 18. She was the best sabreist in the world for everyone for Cadet, Junior, and Senior competitions (Cadet is 16 and under, Junior is 18 and under, and Senior is 20 and under) a couple years back when she was only 16. I admire her because of her will and perserverance. She is basically one of the reasons I fence sabre and not one of the other two weapons. In the fencing community, she is regarded as one of the most talented and gifted fencers that has ever lived. No one really views her as a villian, some might have friendly rivalries against her, such as Mariel Zagunis and Sada Jacobson (the first and second best sabreists in the world, respectively). Her perserverance to be one of the best in the world has led her up to becoming what she is today. I wish to have that type of perserverance because I want to compete in the 2012 London Olympics as well.

I also admire her because she is able to balance her fencing and personal life. A typical senior-level fencing season runs from January to September, and she devotes almost every day during that time to training. She is also finishing up her post-secondary schooling, she is home schooled, and completing the standardized exams in preparation for enrollment at Duke University after the Beijing Games. She also finds time to do her favorite hobbies, like photography and white water rafting. Even now, when I am only training for the olympic trials, my social life has slowly dwindled down.

Through perseverance, practice, and a little bit of luck, Rebecca Ward's wrong turn at a Denver recreation center landed her in the olympics. She has proven herself to be one of the best of the best. She has faced and overturned each obstacle put in her way. And all at the age of 18 years old. This is why Rebecca Ward is my hero.

Check it out

I am bored and I totally want to do this.
Fencing facts:

1. I personally have been fencing for around 5 years, I started fencing hardcore about 3 years ago.
2. The weapon I use is called a Sabre. It's related to the cavalry weapon that conquistadors used, and you use the whole blade to score points, or "touches".
3. The two other weapons are called "Foil" (like tin foil), and "epeé" (pronounced ep-ay). Both these weapons are like dueling weapons and use the point to score touches.
   
4. Fencing is a French sport.
5. The club I fence at is called Team Touche Fencing Center. (TTFC, 10373 Roselle St. #120 everyone should come and check it out :P)
6. In relativity, golf is a more dangerous sport than fencing.
7. Just a random fact, but I am practically on the morning news every few weeks or so because of fencing :P.
8. My fencing idol is Rebecca Ward of the US womens olympic sabre team.
9. The uniform I wear is comprised of many different pieces: Long socks, Knickers (pants,not tights, there is a difference), Underarm protector or plastron (self explanitory), Jacket, Lamé (pronounced Lah-may, its the silvery part that makes a box beep if you are touched), Manchette or cuff (basically a conductive metal cuff for your wrist), Glove for the armed hand, Mask, and Body cord (a cord that runs the length of your upper body to connect you to a scoring machine).
10. There are two types of fencing, dry and electric. In dry, you do not use a Lamé, manchette, or body cord. Dry fencing basically means that you do not use a circuit or electricity to make a scoring machine go off. In electric, you are hooked up to a scoring machine that makes a noise if you get a touch on the other guy or if the other guy hits you.

So ya, 10 awsome facts about fencing. BTW fencing is an olympic sport too ^_^.

30 Things You Don't Know About Me

1. My favorite color is red.
2. I fence.
   
3. I am training for the 2011 fencing Olympic trials.
4. I can make stained glass windows.
5. My favorite bands are Nirvana, Pink Floyd, and Led Zepplin.
6. I like to play Xbox 360 games in my free time.
7. I actually enjoy math (I know,I'm weird).
8. I like to read.
9. I have my own paintballing gun and sometimes go out and paintball on the weekend.
10. I am a real computer nerd.
11. My favorite book series is the Artemis Fowl series, but my favorite book is Freakonomics.
12. I like to snowboard.
13. My favorite food are wantons.
14. My favorite movie is An Inconvenient Truth.
15. I own a 20 year old Flash comic.
16. I enjoy going to comic-con during the summer.
17. I have gone to sleep at 7 in the morning and woken up at 6 in the evening.
18. I am good at chess.
19. My favorite football team is the New England Patriots.
20. My birthday is on June 29th.
21. I am an Atheist.
22. I am allergic to lettuce (it sucks tell me about it).
23. I was born in Portland,Oregon.
24. I want to be a mathematician as an adult.
25. I know a paralympic champion.
26. I am fascinated by all types of art.
27. My favorite subject in school is Math/Physics.
28. I scored a 2230 out of a possible 2600 on a practice SAT test in 8th grade.
29. I've been practically everywhere in the world.
30. I am going to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.