Meet Travis, one of top 16 fencing knights from Sekolah Pelita Harapan Lippo Cikarang.
Though only starting to fence in August, Travis from Sekolah Pelita Harapan (SPH) Lippo Cikarang courageously dove into the fencing world a month later by competing in his first International Knight Open Fencing Championship 2022 in Bogor. With almost 400 local and international contestants from 52 clubs in all Indonesia, the Philippines, and Spain, the four-day tournament exposed him to the intensity of international competition as well as those potentially more experienced in fencing. Despite consistently training for only a month, Travis managed to secure his place as one of the fencing knights in the top 16. What an achievement!
It all began from a single invite from a friend whose mother owned a fencing club. Today, Travis not only gets to explore the sport of fencing, but he gets to use its practices as part of his CAS activity. Talk about killing two birds with one stone! Yet just like with every endeavor, there are challenges that come with it, and for Travis, it is the sacrifice of time. His schedule is divided into practice days, both alone and with a coach, and the rest would be focused on schoolwork and his studies. Thankfully, the support from family, friends, and teachers encourages Travis to continue pursuing this sport while maintaining his academic progress.
As an aspiring fencing athlete, Travis shared one of the biggest lessons he learned thus far was to have a strong mentality that is crucial in fencing. He reflected on how we should not give up easily and let our physical abilities limit us, for it requires time for improvements and skills to bear fruit. By the renewing of his mind, Travis finds the motivation to persevere in his go-to Bible verse, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength,” (Philippians 4:13).
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