For a young Jo Hutchison, who grew up trying to skewer her siblings, her youth could not have been better spent, with the last 17 years helping prepare the Olympic hopeful for the biggest fight of her life - London 2012.
When: July 16-22, 2011
Where: Sheffield, UK
Details: The European Fencing Championships are to take place once more in 2011 and will witness some of Europe’s top athletes battle it out in Sheffield.
If you’ve ever been intruiged by those athletes all in white and fancied testing your swordmanship, then now is the time to give fencing a go! London’s Future Gallery in the heart of the West End is offering a taster session with two two-hour classes taught by London’s premier fencing masters.
The sporting focus may be on Delhi right now, but we mustn’t forget what’s going on elsewhere in the world! British modern pentathletes, Mhari Spence, and Louise Helyer, helped Scotland secure a silver medal at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships in Australia.
Fencing is not necessarily an obvious sport to try if you want to keep fit, but it is surprisingly athletic, combining speed, skill and stamina. Here’s our guide to arm you with all the info you need to give it a go.
