Competitive fencing had been part of my life for a decade before I retired in 1993. During that time, the sport and the people whom I met in its pursuit had helped me to grow...expand my own little universe. I put down the foil due to financial reasons and the desire to focus on rock climbing. Many times, I had contemplated returning.
This is the weapon that was given to me by my coach and mentor, Maitre Sebastiani. Coach recently retired from leading the team at Princeton University, something I never thought would ever happen. He now instructs students in a private club, similar to the one right up the street from my current home. A travel time of 5 minutes was enough incentive for me to stop off at my parents' home to pick up my old gear. The zipper of my fencing bag has fused shut from corrosion so I won't know the condition of the contents until I surgically open the bag. But either way, I'm going to give it a go. I have not aspirations for medals or trophies (no chance of that), just to be back in the game. It may be a slow road, though, considering throwing a frisbee yesterday has left me sore!