MEDIA RELEASE
3 December 2023
NORTH MELBOURNE – New South Wales fencer Gaia Hardge yesterday won the Australian and Oceania Women’s Sabre event at the 2023 Australian and Oceania Senior, Veteran, and Australian Youth Circuit Fencing Championships. Despite her youth – she will be in year 12 in 2024 – she’s an experienced competitor with many years of training. She got her start at age 8 following her big brother into fencing. “He started fencing at our local club, Marrickville Marauders, and I was around it for years on end, watching, going to all the competitions, going to training, and I just wanted to give it a go.”
She started out as a sabreuse (a female sabre fencer), and never felt the need to move on to either of fencing’s two other weapons. “I definitely love how fast-paced [sabre] is. I get a little bored watching foil and epee. You definitely have to have discipline and skill for them, but for me, I prefer the speed and the having to have the fast reaction time. It’s more like – ‘Go!’”
She’s keen to continue striving for more fencing success. “I plan to keep going, to see where I can go with it. I’m still in high school, year 12 next year. Career-wise, I’m looking at doing something in the sports industry. Not sure what yet; I’m going to take a few years to work it out.”
She also has a message for any women and girls who might be interested in giving fencing a go. “I’d love to see more women enjoying the sport and not feeling like it’s such a big boy’s club sometimes. It’s definitely not, but a lot of females I know feel that way. It would be good to publicise all the female fencers, to have a campaign showing young girls and women that it’s not just a men’s sport. But also just to grow the whole community.”
Results for each event are being posted in real time at
https://www.fencingtimelive.com/tournaments/eventSchedule/8284EE098F63431FA0F03B468EE30E0A#today
The 2023 Australian and Oceania Senior, Veteran, and Australian Youth Circuit Fencing Championships continue through Tuesday, 5 December. Photo and interview opportunities with competitors will be available throughout the competition.
Photo credit: Ed Chiu
For more information
Laura E. Goodin
Media Officer
media@fencingvictoria.org
