MEDIA RELEASE
1 December 2023

NORTH MELBOURNE – Multiple Olympian, coach, and international fencing administrator Helen Smith, AM, has seen significant changes in Australian fencing since she started in the sport in the 1960s. “I think fencing in Australia has matured. The competitions now are run very well, very smoothly, with video refereeing. There’s been an evolution and a growth and a maturity in the sport. We have some very good athletes. Let’s hope we can help them and support them to go on to bigger and better things.”

She added that Australia fencing is growing vigorously. “When I was president of the [Australian Fencing Federation], we encouraged all the states to tell us how many people were fencing in schools, coming to come-and-try, doing uni fencing, all that, and we were up to 28,000 people, and I’m talking 15 to 20 years ago now. So I imagine it’s at least twice that now.”

She continued, “There have been huge changes in technology. Of course you see evolving styles that become more successful, and everyone then tries to emulate that style of coaching or fencing. And the growth of fencing – I’ve seen a huge growth [of fencing] in Asia, and growth in Africa and also South America. It’s become much more of a global sport, and it’s great to see that Asia now challenges Europe, even exceeds the achievements of Europe at times – not that they want to admit that! And the way the sport is presented now is wonderful, it’s a great show.”

Ms. Smith began fencing at 14, and has been involved in coaching, refereeing, and administration virtually from the beginning. “I’m a person who sees a problem and tries to fix it. So if something needed to be done within [fencing], my coach, who was a Hungarian, encouraged everyone at our club [to be involved]. He always made us do the coaching courses, do the refereeing courses. During university holidays I’d go over all the AFF papers and sort out the stuff, preparing folders of documents to go to the National Archive.  So he was introducing me to the world of administration and I knew everything that was going on in the country. Because it was one of my great passions, I continued, and I haven’t stopped yet.”

The 2023 Australian and Oceanea 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.

For more information
Laura E. Goodin
Media Officer
media@fencingvictoria.org