A young fencer recently won a gold medal at the Pan American Games in Paraguay.
Adelle Chun, who trains out of Richmond's S-Class Fencing Club, competed in the Cadet (under 17) Pan American Championship held in Asuncion, Paraguay, on Feb. 25.
The 15-year-old fencer said it felt incredible earning first place.
"It's a validation of my efforts, and I'm beyond excited to see where this will take me in my fencing career," said Chun.
"Having represented Canada at the Pan American Championship is a huge honour, and it has fuelled my desire to reach even higher."
Chun also placed third in the junior age category at the Pan Am Games.
Her coach Eli Schenkel said the "coolest part" of Chun's win was her ability to compete without a coach on site.
"I was still in Canada at the time, so it felt really inspiring to know she was able to use her training even without live instruction, which is what we've been preparing for the last several years," said Schenkel.
"From the video I saw after the match, it was great to see her maintain her composure and fence tactically, rather than freeze up when the score became tight near the middle of the bout."
Schenkel described Chun's results as shocking "yet unsurprising" for her first major international event. It's easy for athletes to "blank out" under high pressure, he added.
"Every coach dreams their athlete will reach the world stage, so I'm thrilled she was not only able to experience the moment, but to thrive in it."
Chun, who lives in Vancouver and attends Lord Byng secondary, started fencing at the age of six after watching the 2016 Rio Olympics.
She told the Richmond News she was "fascinated by the sport" and wanted to give it a try and found herself training consistently until the pandemic hit -- forcing her to take a two-year break before returning in 2022.
Her next goal is to earn a spot on Canada's National Cadet Fencing Team.
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