Student opens up on journey as an international fencer

As a child, Diagnostic Imaging student Elsie Llewellyn used to be an unwilling participant in pretend sword fights with her brother.

Fast forward to August this year and the pair were travelling together to represent Scotland at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships.

What started as sibling rivalry became so much more for Elsie, who’s since progressed to travelling the world with Scottish and British Fencing.

She said: “I first became interested when a coach came to my school and did some taster sessions - I was in Primary 7 at the time.

“My brother, Ethan, had always enjoyed sword fighting with sticks but I didn’t really like it because he was a bit too rough - he used to hit my fingers and I’d run off crying!

“I guess, eventually, it maybe gave me that competitive side that you can only really get from fighting with your siblings. I decided to tag along with him when he decided to start going to classes.”

Elsie attended her local club in Perth and began to realise that she’d discovered her passion.

“I’d been involved in different sports as a child and I’d always been competitive. I quite liked football, gymnastics and badminton but there is just something different about fencing.

“It’s such an interesting sport. It’s very physical, there’s a lot of movement and you’re using muscles that you normally wouldn’t. There’s quite a few different tactics involved which means you have to think on your feet. Sometimes it’s all about muscle memory, other times it’s tactical.

“There’s a quote I saw one time that said: ‘you have the legs of a long jumper, the fitness of a sprinter and the tactical mind of a chess player’. I always thought that sounded about right.”

She added: “The sport in general isn’t that well known because there are expenses to pay for within it. There’s a belief that it’s elitist, but if you’ve got a club that will support you and coaches who will help you make it to competitions, then that really makes a difference in terms of continuing.”

Luckily, Elsie had that support and quickly gained experience through the Youth Development Series, a competition designed specifically for young people starting out in fencing. Further opportunities then followed at British ranking events, allowing Elsie to take her hobby to the next level.

She said: “After doing it as a bit of fun, I eventually started going to these local events. That was when I realised that there was the opportunity to compete with Scotland and Britain.

“We never had scouting or anything like that. You just go to the events and if you get certain points you then qualify - the more points you have the more likely you are to qualify.”

Elsie added: “I’ve competed with the British team for a number of years now, as well as the Scottish team. It’s been an amazing opportunity for me and I’ve had the chance to travel to the likes of Hungary, Germany, France and Bulgaria. The furthest I went was Australia for the last Commonwealth Fencing Championships.”

That trip in 2018 acted as a homecoming for Elsie, who spent the first eight years of her life living in Adelaide.

Two years after her return to Australia, the world was turned on its head by a certain global pandemic; however, Elsie and her brother Ethan found a way to keep themselves ticking over ahead of the next Commonwealth Fencing Championships.

She explained: “It was really tough with Covid. Scotland didn’t relax restrictions on sport for a long time. The hardest bit was probably seeing everything going back to normal in England, which meant their fencers could return to proper training.

“My brother and I were the same household, so we did a bit together. It was like being kids again because we were even practicing in our yard at some points; thankfully, there were no sticks involved!”

Despite the challenges in her way, Elsie’s training routine – and the world around her – slowly returned to normal.

“When we finally did get back to it, you almost had to retrain your muscles and brain to do the sport again – it was a strange experience. I had to get everything going quickly because I knew the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in London were coming up this year.

“I got through the two major events you need to perform in for selection: Youth Championships and the Scottish Open.”

Elsie added: “My brother was selected as well, so it was pretty special to head down with him and share that experience together. Our parents also made it down to watch us both. They’re really proud and it was great to have them there supporting us.”

The competition was held at University of East London (UEL) SportsDock facility with 37 member nations, from Ghana to Gibraltar and Scotland to Sierra Leone, competing.

So, how did Elsie get on?

She said: “I had two events: the Junior Commonwealths and the Senior Commonwealths. In the Seniors, I came ninth and in the Juniors, I came eighth. In our team events, we came fourth.

“I was obviously gunning for a medal, so it was slightly disappointing in that sense, but it’s definitely motivated me to work my way to the next one.”

Now comfortably into her third year at GCU, Elsie believes she’s managed to find the right balance between fencing and her studies.

She explained: “The stress of studying can be taken away by doing some training. The stress of competition can be taken away by going to class. It works both ways, which is really great for me.”

After a hectic few months balancing competition and coursework, Elsie would definitely be forgiven for wanting a well-earned rest, but don’t count on that any time soon…

“There’s obviously been quite a few cancellations over the last few years, so I’m looking forward to getting involved and seeing everyone again.

“I definitely think I’ll continue with the sport at a high level for some time yet. My focus is already on the next Commonwealths where I’ll be looking to get that medal - maybe even a gold one!”

Feeling inspired after reading that? Elsie is also a member of GCU Students’ Association’s Fencing Club. Find out how you can get involved here.

By Ross Clark 
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email me at Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or message me on Twitter