From teens to seniors, Arizona fencers compete at 2023 USA Fencing National Championships in Phoenix
Eva Wilson, Gabriela Hwang and Hans Bogensberger come from very different backgrounds, but the 2023 USA Fencing National Championships being held this week at the Phoenix Convention Center is where they will find common ground.
Two are teens, one is a senior, but all three are among Arizona’s 183 competitors in the 2023 USA Fencing National Championships and Summer Nationals.
Wilson, 15,of Tempe, and Hwang, 16, of Chandler, each train and compete at the Phoenix Fencing Academy.
Wilson recently began fencing just over a year ago after she was inspired by watching USA fencers in the 2021 Summer Olympics. She now competes in five different events during the Summer Nationals, which began June 30 and continues through through July 9.
Teenage competitors can find paths to scholarships, competitions around the world or even, for top fencers, Olympic glory. Wilson hopes fencing can be a way into the Air Force Academy or the U.S Military Academy West Point to continue her family lineage of serving in the armed forces like her grandfathers.
“In this sport, you definitely have to stay calm in a lot of situations,” Wilson said. “You can just lose your mind over small things. You have to really keep your head and that's really good to learn because you can use that in a lot of life experiences.”
Hwang has been in the sport for nine years, and has quickly made a name for herself as a multi-time champion. Though born in the United State, Hwang is able to represent Puerto Rico because her mother was born there. Puerto Rico, despite being a U.S., territory, competes separately in the Olympics. Being able to compete for Puerto Rico is a huge source of pride for Hwang.
“There's not a lot of good fencers in Puerto Rico,” Hwang said. “It's cool to stand out, because no one thinks Puerto Rico's like worth anything. I am able to make really good results and then show what Puerto Rico can do.”
As a multi-time champion, Hwang already has made Puerto Rico proud. With these wins and also adding a bronze medal in Junior Women’s Saber on July 1 in Phoenix with more events to come, she’s on her way to her dream of competing in the Olympics.
Hwang competed in tournaments in Spain, France, Colombia and Bulgaria. But having a major competition in your backyard was beneficial for Wilson and Hwang, being able to have their coaches and academy so close.
The Phoenix Fencing Academy, co-owned by husband and wife Will and Sabrina Becker, was ecstatic to have such an event so close to their Tempe home.
“Now even the ones that don't compete, they're brand new, they get to come and watch and learn and see what it really looks like,” Will Becker said. “When we tell them it's kind of crazy, they get to at least see that it actually was crazy.”
The academy has about 100 fencers in total, all of different skill ranges and age groups. Like Hwang and Wilson, many use fencing as an avenue to different things.
“At the end of the day, it's not just about fencing,” Sabrina Becker said. “It's about what your future is going to be. If fencing can help do that, that's awesome for us and we've done our job.”
'Go do it'
Bogensberger, 82-year-old Sun City resident, on the other hand, shows how the sport can span age groups.
Botn in 1941 in what was then German-occupied Austria, he picked up fencing when he was 14, looking to pass the time but lost interest fairly quickly. He then earned his PhD in nuclear physics before retiring in 2002 and moving to the United States.
After spending 15 years in Florida, he suddenly began to have issues with his memory. Doctors believed it was a stroke, so he moved to Phoenix to be closer with his son. Neurologists later diagnosed Bogensberger with Parkinson’s. However, he was determined to find a solution.
He knew exercise could help, so he picked up fencing once again. Since then, he says he has seen drastic improvement in his physical abilities and is now competing at the highest level. The proof lies in his road to get to the Summer Nationals, defeating competitors of various age groups to be one of five competitors in his age bracket.
With a win in his group, he would have the chance to compete in the World Championships in Milan, Italy.
“I hope then I have the great honor of my life to represent the United States of America,” Dr. Bogensberger said.
He’s hoping his strict practice regimen of 2.6 miles of running, fencing and golfing will pay off on Tuesday in the Vet-80 Men’s Saber competition in Phoenix, which would allow him to participate in Milan. And for anyone looking to keep active and compete at as high of a level as him, Bogensberger has one thing to say.
“I am 82 years old. So go do it,” he said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona fencers compete at 2023 Fencing Summer Nationals in Phoenix
