When sophomore Kylie Wynn walked into her first fencing class in the third grade, it was love at first sight. Now, after seven years of fencing, Wynn uses her training and dedication to the sport to compete in local and national tournaments.
After a childhood show sparked an interest in swordfighting, Wynn became interested in fencing as a sport, which led her father to sign her up for group classes. Under her coach and mentor Seregi Golubitsky’s tutelage as well as additional group classes, Wynn became a resilient fencer by developing her understanding of fencing as not just a physical sport but an emotional and mental one, according to Golubitsky and Wynn.
“I think I really enjoy the mental part of the sport,” Wynn said. “Fencing, it’s like the chess of sports, that’s what they call it. It’s really mental. You think of strategy, and you have to outwit your opponent. It also makes a lot of use of your physicality too, so I think it’s just really engaging.”
Initially, Wynn struggled to adapt to the mental aspect of fencing, but her determination in learning the different, complex fencing strategies enabled her to succeed and win national awards, like a seasonal national competition, and earning a C ranking, analogous to winning first place, according to Golubitsky.
“Kylie’s greatest strength as a fencer lies in her resilience,” Golubitsky said. “Fencing, being a combat sport, often challenges athletes to face intense mental and physical battles. Even when she encounters setbacks, Kylie never gives up—she works through the difficulties and returns stronger every time.”
Even though fencing is an individual sport, Wynn uplifts her team during her training. During her near-daily practice in group classes, she encourages her teammates to improve themselves, creating a productive environment for her team. This consistent positive attitude of hers makes her unique, according to Golubitsky.
In contrast to her fencing, which is a solo sport, Wynn pursues team sports at Portola High because she wanted to take a different angle to athletics. She participates in team sports such as flag football, water polo and lacrosse and physically coordinates with a close community of teammates instead of just supporting them emotionally.
“I think that it’s nicer to not have as much pressure on yourself,” Wynn said. “Like, [in fencing] people aren’t depending on you to do good. It’s about yourself, and I think team sports, it’s about depending on my teammates to do well. But then when I’m fencing, it’s like me solely, like my results only.”
Post high-school, Wynn hopes to compete in a Division 1 collegiate athletics program. go to Division I and continue to pursue fencing competitively in college.
“Overall, I think I’ve improved a lot from when I was younger,” Wynn said. “Before, I didn’t really understand the sport that much. I didn’t have a great understanding of it, and generally, as I’ve been practicing more and familiarizing myself with the sport, I think I’ve improved a lot, especially within my results during competition.”
