Dragonwing Girl Blog
Summer Fencing
Hi! I’m Julia, a Dragonwing ambassador. My summers have been known to be very busy, and this coming summer is no exception. I start by going to Dallas, Texas, for fencing summer nationals, where I will be fencing in four events. Each event is long and tiring, so I am lucky that they are each two days apart.
To help me survive the exhausting events, I wear my light, breathable Dragonwing clothes that keep me comfortable and performing my best. In Dallas, any time I don’t spend competing will be spent rehabilitating my knee injury or resting.
After Dallas, I have three days at home until I go to Massachusetts for a month for a journalism program and then a marine biology program, two of my favorite subjects. Lastly, I’ll be going to Poland for ten days for a fencing program with many fencers who belong to the same fencing club as me. There, we will do more intense training after a month-long break, and I will have my Dragonwing clothes to keep me cool and comfortable.
In a previous blog post, I talked about my knee injury and my “Road to Recovery.” It took nearly a year, but I am now back to training and competing as much as I ever did. However, I will have to continue physical therapy in order to keep training as frequently and intensively as I can.
My Road to Recovery
Even though I’ve been spending a lot of time doing exercises and physical therapy, the hardest part of my recovery process is simply not being able to do the sport that I love. I’ve been fencing for five years and have never gone this long without fencing.Luckily, the summer is the slowest time of the year when it comes to tournaments, as the number of national level tournaments is very limited. I normally do lots of training over the summer, but this time I took a seven-week break from my sport and focused on my recovery. I spent a few hours almost every day with either my physical therapist, chiropractor, or swimming trainer. Here I am doing plank exercises on the porch -- in my Dragonwing Racer Sports Bra and Chill Weight Capri Leggings, of course!
Because swimming is a low impact form of exercise, I could do it for as long as I want without injuring myself any further. In fact, the swimming helps speed up my recovery because it develops many of the muscles that I don’t use as much when I fence.
My chiropractor and physical therapist give me stretches and exercises that will eventually get rid of my tendonitis. I do these exercises with them and every day at home. About three times a week, I will go to my fencing club and take a 20 minute one-on-one lesson with my coach where I do mostly arm work with some light footwork and no lunging.
I’m determined to get better as soon as I can so that I don’t have to worry about my knee when I am older and my injury could be worse.
Introducing Julia, Dragonwing Ambassador
My main passion is fencing. Fencing training and competing has taken up most of my time for the past five years, but I love to do it. I get to travel lots and meet competitors from all over the country, and now I always see familiar faces at tournaments. I have made amazing friends through the sport that I know I will keep with me for many years to come. During summer and winter breaks, I participate in sleepaway and day camps to train with new coaches and unfamiliar fencers.
When I'm not fencing, I love to spend time with my friends and family. My friends and I walk practically everywhere, whether we are going to lunch or just to each other's houses. (I like to think that it keeps us active.)
I also like to spend time with my family. One of our greatest passions is food. We are constantly trying new foods and restaurants. As my 16 year old brother just recently earned his learner's permit for driving, he sometimes drives us to these restaurants (making me constantly fear for my life).
I hope this has helped you get a little sneak peek into the life of Julia. I can't wait to share more about myself, as well as get to know all of you more!
Feel free to share this post and/or leave comments. Please subscribe to Sideline Chatter with your email so you don't miss any updates or new posts -- from me or our other Ambassadors.
