Team Commonwealth gold! Melbourne, 2010

Yesterday the England women’s foil team won gold at the Commonwealth Championships and it was a fantastic victory. We fenced sharply and solidly all throughout the day, beating Guernsey and Australia on the way to the final. It was a particularly hot day in Melbourne yesterday, the venue was stuffy and draining and so hydration was a priority. We were lucky enough that the English accommodation is in walking distance from the venue and so we took a much needed break back at the apartments between the semi’s and the finals.

We came back feeling re-charged and ready for what we knew was going to be a tough final. The Singapore team have a lot of experience on the Senior World Cup circuit and we knew we would have to step up and fence to the best of our abilities. It was a very close final all the way through leading up to the last bout of the match – there were never more than 2 hits between us and the Singapore team. In the last fight, with just 20 seconds to go, I got another 3 hits and managed to take England into the lead. At 10 seconds my opponent was forced to attack me and I managed to pick her off ending in a final score of 31-27. We won!

It was a fantastic final to be a part off. The girls made me so proud. They were professional from start to finish and never let up. We bounced off one another throughout the day, pushing each other to get the best out of ourselves. At the start of the day we drew up a list of short-term goals that we wanted to achieve throughout the day and within each team fight. We knew exactly what we had to do and were clear about our set goals. We all played a massive part in winning and that was what it was all about, the team.

We ended the championships on a high and it was an experience I’ll never forget.

Before I sign off, I would like to thank both Beth Speedy and Jonathan Katz for their fantastic support. I really appreciated their help at the Championships. Also, thanks to the entire England team for their massive encouragement. There is a great vibe in the England camp and we are bringing home the medals across all weapons. With just one more day of competition left, I hope England bring home gold so that we’ll all be flying home with gold medal’s around our necks.