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En Garde! Fencing at UPEI challenges creativity as well as intellect

By Kelly Mason STAFF WRITER

Coming to the Prince Of Wales College in August 1967, Dr. Lothar Zimmermann was dismayed that fencing, a sport that he had enjoyed at McMaster and the University of Toronto, was not available.

“When the two colleges [Prince of Wales and Saint Dunstan] were joined, the UPEI Fencing club was created,” Zimmermann said, who received a Sport P.E.I. Certificate of Recognition for his efforts to create this club.

While typically being a club for only UPEI students, it soon began to include people

university community as well as those outside of the campus community, including Charlottetown residents. Such interest in the sport also attracted Kara Grant, a biology

student at UPEI. A

pentathlete, Kara has been known for her love of the sport both national and international. One highlight in her athletic career is her upcoming participation in the 2000 © Olympics.

Philip Stewart, head coach of UPEI’s Fencing club (and former assistant fencing coach at McGill University and Concordia University in

Montreal), has fenced for

23 years and like Grant, has competed locally and nationally.

“After receiving my level III provincal level at the fencing Master’s School of Canada, I was able to be the head coach for the 1995 Canada Winter Games Fencing Team.” Stewart added that he has been coaching for eleven years.

Currently Stewart said that he is teaching a

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meter dash.

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beginners fencing program at the

‘Charlottetown Recreation

Center.

Asa rule, fencing can be enjoyed on all levels of participation, whether as a recreational activity or ona competitive plane. The sport has also been popularized by The Mask of Zorro, a romantic movie swept with the background of Mexico’s fight for independence from Spain with the main title character: Don Deign de la Vega acting as a Robin Hood type character, defending the

weak and the oppressed during the night. In the 1998 version of the movie, Antonio Banderas acted out the part of Zorro. Some other movies with a taste of fencing include: The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Princess Bride, By the Sword, and The Three Musketeers.

While fencing may seem to be a dull sport, it also allows the full use of one’s creative mind as well as one’s intellect.

“Fencing has been compared to being a cross between chess and doing the 100 meter dash at the same time,” Zimmermann said before mentioning that there are some fees to joining the UPEI Fencing club.

“While UPEI students pay an annual fee of $70 to join the club, there are plenty of rewards once one is involved with the sport.” Zimmermann said fencing is a great sport for those who love to solve problematic situations as well as being totally dependent on themselves.

“That is perhaps one of the greatest appeals to the fencing club, the appeal that there is such a mixture of personalities

within the group, some are artists; teachers; managers; lawyers; Ph.Ds; MDs and DVMs.” Zimmermann explains.

The UPEI Fencing club meets every Monday night from 8-10 p-m. and Saturday afternoon from 1-2:30

p-m. at the Sports Center. Cc

Wrestlers qualify for AUAA and CIAU championships

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