Congratulations Lexie – GBR World Championships

We are delighted to share the exciting news that Lexie, our Deputy Head Girl, has been selected to represent the under 20 GBR team at the Fencing World Championships.

Lexie’s fencing story began when she was at the Prep School and it was a pleasure to catch up with her fresh from the European Championships in Naples and find out more about her journey so far, along with her aspirations for the future.

What motivated you to start fencing, and how long have you been training?

I started fencing when I was 5 years old because I enjoyed watching my brother, Jamie, fence. We are super competitive so I wanted to be able to fence with him.

How did it feel when you found out you were selected to represent GBR at the World Championships in Riyadh? 

The squad this season has been really competitive so my place on the team wasn’t guaranteed but I’ve been working toward selection for the Worlds all season so I’m excited that it has paid off. I feel really honoured to be able to represent my country at this level. I’m also excited to visit Riyadh as I’ve never been to Saudi and I’m sure they’ll make brilliant hosts.

Can you share some insights into your training regime leading up to the World Championships?

I’ll be in the salle for 2-3 hours every day after school. Training at this point in the season is a combination of technical and tactical work – this means footwork sessions, sparring with my teammates, and lessons with my coach, Balázs. I also need to be in peak physical condition so I’ll be developing as much strength and power as I can with the help of my S&C coach, Steve.

What do you consider to be your strengths as a fencer, and how do you plan to leverage them in the upcoming competition?

I try to be smart and tactical during a fight by reacting to what my opponent has done during the previous hits and building a game plan off that. Being able to adapt my tactics will be crucial at the Worlds as it’s likely I won’t have fenced many of my opponents before.

Fencing requires both physical and mental strength. How do you prepare yourself mentally for high-pressure competitions like the World Championships?

In the run up to the competition, I try not to think about it too much to avoid psyching myself out. The night before, I eat lots, pack my bag, and get an early night so I know I’m as prepared as I can be to keep myself calm. During the competition, I like to adopt the attitude that ‘it’s not that deep’ as I always fence better when I’m enjoying myself – it allows me to be more creative and I can take more risks if the pressure is off. I also keep my AirPods in the whole time – I only take them out right before I put my mask on.

How do you plan to balance the demands of competing at the World Championships with your academic and other commitments?

My priority this year has been getting my A-Levels and that isn’t going to change over the next few weeks. School comes first, meaning if I miss a training session because I need to study then I’m not going to give myself a hard time about it. Having said that, the school are super supportive of my performance as a fencer and my teachers are always really on it about giving me work to do whilst I’m away and making sure I’m caught up on anything I’ve missed. Over the years I’ve learnt to manage my time effectively and be efficient about getting work done so it’s not a big deal for me now.

Beyond the World Championships, what are your long-term aspirations in Fencing, and wider?

Ultimately, I’d really like to complete an Olympic cycle. It depends on where I end up in the next few years, but LA 2028 is the dream.

Can you share any advice for aspiring fencers who hope to reach the level you have achieved?

• Trust the process – sometimes it’s impossible to actually see yourself where you want to end up (if that makes any sense) but as long as you commit and work hard, anything can happen.
• Don’t let yourself become complacent – if you find yourself just ‘going through the motions’ then set a goal that motivates you and make that your focus every session.
• Most importantly, enjoy yourself! Reward yourself when you win and embrace the moments when you lose and you’ll begin to fall in love with the sport.

Head of Fencing, Lucy Jupp said, “We’re absolutely delighted with Lexie’s selection for the upcoming under 20 world championships in Saudi Arabia. This is fresh off the back of a 14th place finish at the European Championships in Naples. Lexie has been part of our fencing programme since the Prep School, and now in her final year at Truro School it has been wonderful to see her finish her time with us with such fantastic selections for GBR. Over the decade, Lexie has shown nothing short of the fullest of commitment to her training and competition schedules. Not only focussed on her own development, but she has also always had a supportive word to share with our next generation of fencers and in the week where we look more closely at International Women’s Day, Lexie has been the most wonderful role model to our younger pupils.”

Any pupils interested in finding out more about Fencing can contact Mrs Jupp or come along to the beginners’ club on Tuesdays after school. Beginners to the sport can also take a class as part of 4th and 5th Year games or sign up for Wednesday Afternoon Activities. For more experienced fencers, high-performance training takes place from 4pm-6pm Monday-Friday. All sessions take place in our on-site Fencing Salle with expert coaching delivered by the world-class coaching team at Truro Fencing Club.