Foil play in Beijing
[ The University of Melbourne Voice Vol. 3, No. 5
14 July - 10 August 2008 ] By Janine Sim-Jones
Fencer Amber Parkinson is set to make her first advance on Olympic competition when the elimination bouts begin at the Beijing Olympics on 13 August. The University of Melbourne Master of Arts alumna has represented Australia at numerous World and Commonwealth Fencing Championships – but after two decades of involvement in the sport it is the first time she will compete at the Olympics.
Parkinson, 31, is one of Australia’s two-member fencing team at Beijing. The other, Joanna Halls, also studied at Melbourne. Currently ranked number 40 in the world, Parkinson will compete in the epee event. Her fortunes will be decided within nine minutes of facing off against her competitor.
“A bout goes for a maximum of nine minutes. It is over after 15 hits, or three periods of three minutes,’’ she says.
“The Olympics is an elimination event so I will have to win that first round to continue.”
To prepare for the event, Parkinson has combined a gruelling six-days-a-week training regime with full-time work as a developmental editor of Italian language textbooks with Pearson Education.
She says that because fencing does not have a high profile in Australia, continuing to compete at elite level can be challenging.
Her fencing career began at school and quickly progressed to competitive level. At University she won six Blues awards for her fencing and, she said, the social aspect of training at the University Fencing Club helped keep her motivated.
“I continued to compete at club level outside of University but having a great social competition in a good atmosphere gave me a reason to persist with the sport,’’ she says.
She has also found her Arts studies – particularly her majors in Italian and French – have been invaluable at international competition, helping her travel easily in Europe and sometimes get an edge on competitors.
“Because I am Australian, my opponents don’t expect me to be able to speak another language so I can sometimes eavesdrop when they are talking tactics,’’ she jokes.
And despite making her Olympic debut at a more mature age, Parkinson says she is lucky to be competing in a sport where age is an advantage.
“Fencing is not just a sport where you need to be super-fit and super-fast. It’s also about strategy, tactics and experience,’’ she says. “You need to have a lot of mental strength to outwit your opponents.”
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