I started when I was 12-years-old at Pendle where I did pentathlon. I entered a competition in Blackpool for fencing after about three months, but I was awful! After that, I remember winning lots of competitions and really enjoying it. Then I won the under-14 nationals a year after, out of about 30 competitors. I loved it from then on.
When did you join the GB junior team?
I first competed for Great Britain in the U17 events, so I would have been 14 or 15. There were two in Germany to start off with, so I did those for a couple of years. Then I took part in the European U17 Championships, and when I was 16, I was high enough in the U20 rankings to enter U20 European and World Championships.
Where are the most exciting places you have travelled?
The World Championships in South Korea were great. It was good training out there and competing. I have also been to Poland, Germany, France and Italy. But I’ve not seen much apart from the airport and hotel! So I’ve travelled the world but haven’t seen very much!
What is the highlight of your career?
I came second at the senior nationals at Wolverhampton when I was 16, it was amazing to get a medal there; I was completely shocked. It was the turning point in my senior career, and after that I had an amazing season, won another senior open competition in London and got medals in a few others. At 16, I ended the season as senior number one and also U17 British number one.
How have you found competing for York in BUCS?
I was captain this year and last year; in my first year we were in BUCS Division 1 and we won that easily and got promoted into the Premier League. But we finished bottom and had a play-off to avoid relegation which we won. I’m happy with how we did this year: we finished fourth in the end and it was very close between Birmingham and us for most of the season.
Who is the best fencer you have ever faced?
Probably a girl called Corinna Lawrence. I fenced her in the final of the U14 nationals, when she was 11 and I was 13. She got all the way to the final that year. I also fenced her at the U14, U16 and U18 nationals. Now she’s definitely going be part of Team GB at the Olympics.
Which of the three weapons – foil, sabre or épée – is your favourite and why?
My favourite weapon when I came to university was épée because I only did épée fencing at pentathlon. But I enjoy foil quite a lot now, although I don’t fully understand the rules! I have done BUCS individual foil and épée this year and for the past few years as well. But I hate sabre – I don’t get it, it’s stupid!
Any ambitions for the future?
I honestly don’t know. There’s not much fencing in York and with the final year of my PhD it’s getting a bit stressful. But I’m currently ranked 27th in the UK, so I would like to get back into the top 20.