In November 2021, Gungho Marketing secured a 3 year sponsorship programme with British Fencer, Becci Curwen, who has represented England at U15 level, Great Britain U17 & U20. In a recent interview, our Head of MarComms, Tiffany Nommick-Smith profiled Becci and took a deeper dive into how her journey into fencing began.
Profile
Name: Becci Curwen
Born: 2001
Gender: Female
Nationality: British
Weapon Arm: Right Handed
School: Millfield School, Somerset
University: University of Bath, Hartpury University
Degree: Sport
Where did your journey into fencing begin?
I was 10 when I first got into the sport. I was going through the list of clubs at my school, to find new things to try other than swimming.
Fencing and trampolining took my interest but were on at the same time. I chose fencing and have continued it ever since!
What kind of kit do you need to do this sport?
In fencing there is a lot of kit due to safety reasons. We wear all the kit to minimise injury when being hit.
Starting from the top, we wear a mask to protect our head, next is the conductive lamé which tells the scoring box when you’ve been hit.
Then it’s the jacket and underneath that plastron (a soft comfortable layer) and also a chest protector (for females!).
We wear a glove on the sword hand only.
On our legs, we wear breaches, long socks and shoes. We also have a body wire which goes through the jacket and connects the sword to the box to complete the circuit.
And of course, the sword, which we use to hit our opponent!
How intense is your training?
It’s intense. I attend regular 1-1 sessions with my coach and in between those, I do many hours of strength & conditioning each week.
What encouraging words would you share with those new to the sport?
Just go for it! Most clubs have all the kit you need and will lend this to help get you started. Fencing is for all abilities, genders, and ages. It’s often described as ‘physical chess’ because it’s just as much about tactics as it is about physical ability.
Lots of people take it up in later life and thoroughly enjoy it! British Fencing can help you find a local club and give advice on how to get started in the sport
What competitions are coming up for you in 2022?
The first big event is the BUCS individual championships in February 2022. This is where athletes from across UK University’s compete over a weekend.
The next will be the Birmingham International Fencing event in April 2022.
And then it will be onto Excalibur, an inter-county event and the biggest in the UK. Each county fields teams to compete against each other. I’ll be representing Gloucestershire.
What are your goals & aspirations?
I recently moved up to U23 in the Senior Age Groups. My goals for this season are to finish in the top 15 of the senior rankings and top 10 in the U23 rankings.
I’m currently 9th in U23’s and 17th in the Seniors.
This year, I would like to do more Senior International competitions. I would like to go to the Olympics but realistically, this will be 2028/32 at the earliest.
What do you do when you are not fencing?
I love spending time with my dogs, Dodger and Dizzi. I enjoy watching Netflix and playing on my Nintendo switch. I like going for walks with my friends or with my dogs. I take a pretty decent photo – mainly of sports, nature, people or places. I also enjoy riding and climbing!
Keep up to date with how Becci is progressing with her competitions by following her on Twitter, and Instagram
