Sezin Sakmar, who is currently a junior at West Morris Mendham, has been fencing since she was in the fourth grade.  She first started in the fourth grade when her mother “just signed her up” after seeing it online. At first Sakmar did not want to do the sport, but as she kept up with fencing, she grew to enjoy the sport. That’s why Sakmar recommends that people should be open to anything. “If you see any opportunities that come your way, just take it,” she says. “Just make sure you stick with it, even if there are really difficult moments.”

Sakmar explains that her practice regimens vary depending on how much free time she has. She says she always goes to her practices which are “two and a half, maybe sometimes three hours where its just conditioning and then we open fence.” She then tells how the open fencing gives them time to work on skills they practiced or learned earlier in the conditioning. Sakmar also tells that she has private lessons with her coach “once a week… 15, 20 minutes to clean up any skills.”

One of the major things she’s gained from fencing that has been incredibly helpful in her life is the mentality. During competitions, Sakmar admits that sometimes it can be difficult to lose for some people, including herself. “But just try to have as much fun as you can,” she advises, remarking that since she won’t be fencing forever, she finds it important to enjoy the time that she has. Sakmar goes on to say, “Even if the outcome isn’t the best, as long as I’m just trying my hardest and making sure that I’m actually proud of the work that I’ve done, even if I’ve lost horrendously… I just need to make sure that I’m proud of what I’m doing.”

Sakmar says that having this mentality has definitely helped her in other aspects of her life, asiding from fencing. “Especially in school, it’s such a competitive environment once you get older,” she explains. “So, just being able to say to myself, ‘Maybe I didn’t have the highest grade in the class, but I’m proud of my work, and even if it wasn’t the best today, I’ll just work harder for it tomorrow or for another day.”

Teaching herself how to lose and how to be open to the idea that she is inevitably going to lose in life is something very important that Sakmar has gained from doing the sport. “It’s really helped me cope with the fact that I’m going to get a bad grade, or I’m not going to have the best day at school, or maybe I’m fighting with my friends… But it’s not going to be like that forever. I’m going to change and know that I’m going to get better at what I’m doing.”

According to Sakmar, though, her favorite part of participating in the sport is all the people she knows and the friends she’s made. “Doing competitions, when you’re really young, you start to make a lot of new friends. So, going to high school now and seeing them at the high school competitions is always great because we always have something to talk about and I always have someone to talk to,” she explains. The many friends she’s made over the years is another of the most important things that she has taken away from the sport.