Following on the tradition of the National Champions questionairre, the 6 2013 Champions kindly contributed some answer following their Championship win.

“The Sword Fighter Dozen”

Australian 2013 National Champion: Diana Sher  – Womens Epee Champion.

1: How long have you been Fencing? What made you start? How long did it take for you to feel competent?

A: I have been fencing for seven years. My father, Vlad Sher encouraged me to start. I was not overly enthusiastic to begin with. I think the first time I felt really competent was when I won my very first medal at the U15 State Champs. At that point I realized my passion for the sport.

2: How long have you been Competing at National / International level?

A: Nationally I have been competing for around five years and around three years on the International Junior circuit. 

3: What made you choose your weapon?, have you fenced the other 2?

A:  As my father is the National Epee Coach he taught me Epee from day one. I never had the chance to try the others.

4: Where is your favourite place to fence or to train?

A: My favorite place to train and to fence is Paris. The training there is really intense and everyone takes it very seriously. The atmosphere is very friendly and welcoming. Being over there encourages me to train. Spending time in Paris isn’t too bad either.

5: How important have a coach and training partners been to you?

A:  I think I have a very unique situation. My coach is also my father. Maintaining a healthy and solid relationship between father and daughter, as well as strong relationship between coach and student can often be hard. Dad and I have to work especially hard at it.

6: What are your future ambitions for 2014 and beyond? work / training / competition?

A:  2014 will mark my official start as a senior fencer. I have had some good results in juniors, and I am hoping I can use the skills learnt to tackle the senior division. I plan to take it competition by competition, and see where the road leads.

7: Who if anyone have you modeled your fencing on? Or do you have a favourite Fencer (Internationally)?

A: I do not have a favorite international fencer. I admire athletes who are dedicated, committed and passionate about what they do. Also I admire different characteristics from a variety of fencers on the international circuit.

8: What if any other sports do you play/train?

A:  At present there are no sports that I participate in other than fencing. As a child I played Tennis.

9: What difference if any did this national event have to others?

A: This is the very first time I have won this particular competition. It is a nice feeling to have such a breakthrough.

10: What is your weekly training regime? 

A: I fence four days per week. On the other days I like to mix it up a bit, sometimes I go for runs. On other days I go to the gym. Keeping training interesting is important.

11:  What advice would you give future Australian champions?

A:   Train hard.

12: What is the best / worst thing about Fencing in Australia?

A: One of the worst things about fencing in Australia is the travel and the cost of competing at an international level. This requires constant dedication and a lot of self-motivation.

 Thanks so much Diana…..