- September 8, 2024
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People of all ages find themselves inspired by the unmatched feats of strength, skill and agility on display at the Olympics.
Sometimes, they might even be tempted to imagine themselves in the spotlight. Could it be too much to wish for? Perhaps not in Sarasota.
Two options for learning Olympic sports in the area include the area’s fencing clubs, as well as the Sarasota Sharks Synchro Team for ages 6-18.
For many observers, the sport of fencing looks like something straight out of “Star Wars.”
With the precision and energy the sport requires, it’s an apt comparison.
"You have to be quick, and you have to think about what your opponent's going to do, and it's more like a chess game in a way that requires some physical strength and speed," said Ray Zhang, 25, a student at Sarasota Fencing Academy.
John Davis, head coach at the school, was also inspired by lightsabers as a child, when he began fencing at age 8.
A former resident of Ohio and a lifetime member of USA Fencing with over 35 years of experience, Davis said he received one phone call after another with requests for lessons when he moved to Sarasota.
“I don't know how they find me,” he said.
In September 2023, he opened the academy, which now teaches around 40 people.
Around the same time, in October, Andrew Stetsiv was establishing SRQ Fencing Club.
A native of Ukraine and an A-rated sabre fencer with 25 years’ experience, Stetsiv comes from three generations of fencers.
His father Oleg Stetsiv founded Bergen Fencing Club in New Jersey, and is currently attending the Paris Olympics with his student Mitchell Saron, one of three Olympians produced by the academy.
What Stetsiv admires about the sport is the individuality it offers.
“I like sports in general, so whether it's soccer or basketball, or football, I just like the competitive spirit, but what I like about fencing is it's an individual sport, so basically, you take full responsibility for your results, passions, everything, as opposed to team sports, where you can always blame someone for losing or this or that, so that’s why I like fencing."
Although fencing may have originated from swordplay, it has come a long way technologically, and one of the major focuses at Sarasota Fencing Academy is on staying up to date.
Davis highlighted the wireless scorekeeping equipment, which keeps score electronically while keeping fencers free from the pull of wires. Most national and local championships use wired equipment, he said.
He also points across the room — at a scorekeeping device which was made in Germany, and at another that was made in Italy.
Students can practice with electronic and robotic targets, and can even be rewarded at the end of the lesson with a virtual reality fencing activity.
However, with the growth of technology, the demands of the sport are still intense.
“At the end of our class, we make sure you lose 1,000 calories, so you get sore and tired but you'll be happy because your fitness level, your endurance, your brain,” he said.
“I love swimming, but I started fencing, I was shocked at the amount of involvement and energy that I had to do, with a three-minute game,” said Davis’ wife Ela Davis.
Your endurance can be tested through the three different methods of fencing: sabre, where fencers aim above the waist; epee, which involves the full body as a target; and foil, which includes the torso only.
Also note that in 2019, the fencing federation of France officially recognized lightsaber dueling as a competitive sport.
When Annabelle Hill, 15, first witnessed a synchronized swimming performance, she was intimidated by the idea of practicing the artistic sport herself.
“I was so impressed, and I was thinking, I could never do any of this stuff,” she said.
Today, however, she’s swimming right in sync with everyone else on the Sarasota Sharks Synchro Team, which teaches those ages 6-18.
Synchronized swimming has now become the first sport she has seriously pursued.
Although the sport has its challenges, it clicks with some people, and certainly isn't impossible, said swimmers.
The team recently performed at the 2024 Junior Olympic Championships in Gresham, Oregon where it received seventh place.
An important part of the experience is the camaraderie, said swimmers. Swimmers work together to keep time to music, beginning by practicing the movements on land, and then bringing them into the water.
In many respects it's similar to dance.
Camille Wright, 15, said although she started in the sport relatively late, her background in dance and ballet helped her through the learning experience.
“A lot of those skills transfer over, like picking up on choreography and dancing, moving with the team. It's a lot like doing it on land. It's just the added element of water makes it a lot more difficult and was something I had to adapt to.”
For Hill, the sport fulfills her former desire to be involved in ballet.
“I feel a lot less clumsy in the water. I’m able to move,” she said.
The team teaches different skill levels, but one thing it won't entertain teaching is swimming, said coach Erin Bacon. Students who are joining must at least know "a couple" of strokes.
For Anjali Mayor, 17, getting started was simple.
“It’s pretty fun to get started," she said. "There is a learning curve, there is the basics you can get on right away, but I think maybe everyone hits a plateau at some point."
Caroline Clissole, 15, struggled with the basics before finding her way forward.
“It really helped that because if you look around, a lot of people are around my age, that I had so many people at the same age as me learning about the same skills," she said.
According to Camille Wright, 16, a routine becomes second nature at some point.
“I think a large part of it is building a good enough muscle memory so that you can just do it. You don’t even think about it,” she said.
