Asian Games profile: Life on the piste is quick, fast and powerful

An ancient Chinese tale tells of a race among animals, with the sequence they finished determining the 12-year zodiac cycle’s order. First came the rat, then the ox, the tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. At the Sept 23-Oct 8 Asian Games in Hangzhou, Singapore’s 431-strong contingent will also be racing for honours. The Straits Times features 12 of them, each corresponding to one of the animals of the Chinese zodiac. In the 10th profile of the series, Deepanraj Ganesan interviews fencer Juliet Heng.

What is it about fencing that got you hooked?

It started while I was at the Singapore Sports School and I was very fortunate to be able to go for overseas competition when I was 14. That’s when I realised there is actually such a big circuit and a big group of fencers.

Seeing so many talented people out there made me fall in love with the sport, with the aim of making it as far as possible.

I really enjoyed being on the piste and scoring a point with a variety of moves and technique. And because my weapon category is really fast, and I’m a very energetic person, it was like a match made in heaven.

It was quick and everything about it was powerful. I really enjoyed that feeling, it’s something that only fencing allows you to feel.

What are you like, the night before a big competition?

I’m super happy and very energetic for no reason. In fact, it’s quite normal that I would be really nervous. I’d rather be nervous because if I’m calm, I would feel like something is wrong.

It’s also really important for me to stick to my routine because I don’t like to get my routine messed up.

So if it messes up, I get too nervous the next day and I’m sure I wouldn’t perform well.

I also will listen to those YouTube motivational videos that really pump me up.

You’ve tried a variety of sports like gymnastics, track and field and taekwondo when you were younger as well. What is it about sport that excites you?

When I was younger, I had a lot of energy, so I needed to put it somewhere. My dad used to be an athlete, he used to play basketball and did dragon boating. So that had an influence as well.

When I was young, he was still very active and he would send me to classes to try a variety of sports. And I always had fun doing them. Even in school, I had the most fun during physical education lessons.

So, afterwards, I just continued trying different programmes, different types of sports, went with the flow, tried fencing and here I am today.

How has sport changed you? What has it taught you?

It’s really nurtured me to be more responsible and mature as a person because you can’t throw a fit when you lose. If you lose, it’s probably because you’re not good enough. I cannot blame the referee and say he or she was bad.

Sport has shown me how to persevere and chase your goal. In sport, as long as you’re the best, no one can beat you. It pushed me to always train to reach the No. 1 spot.

Sport has also taught me to be very respectful because sportsmanship is so important. If we don’t have any sportsmanship, it reflects badly on yourself, your school and your association. It really has made me a more mature and well-mannered person.

And finally, it’s given me a sense of responsibility because you cannot be good if you don’t put in the effort. It’s your responsibility to show up for training and to train even harder than anyone even if you are the strongest, youngest or weakest.

What is one thing people don’t understand about fencing?

They think it is just like cling cling, clang clang (mimics sound of swords clashing). It is way more than that. There is a lot of shouting, arguing in matches and there are so many mind games that go on during bouts.

Matches can be super unpredictable because one moment you think your opponent is doing this, the next it is something unexpected.

Fencing is still relatively under the radar because not a lot of people understand it. They don’t understand the fact that we have three different weapons and how each weapon is really different. I do hope that more people can understand it better.

Fencers often talk about the need for a good mindset. How important is a good mental state for competing at the highest level?

In any sport in general, if you don’t have the mindset of wanting to be the best, then it’s very hard to make it far because, after a certain level, after a certain period of time, everyone internationally is at around the same level. Everyone trains hard to reach the top of their performance but it comes down to who is mentally stronger.

Sport psychology helps to develop a more competitive mindset that can help me tell myself that I can do it, I can win that crucial point. Those are the small things that really add up in the end. When it is 14-14 in a match and there is a 50-50 chance between you and your opponent to get to the next point, it’s the mind that pushes you to the point ahead of your opponent.

It is going to be your first Asian Games. What does it mean to you?

It’s a really great opportunity for me because there are so many talented fencers in Asia. So being able to compete with them and gaining experience will be really meaningful. I want to go there and give it my all. If I can win, it’d be good for Singapore.

It will show that fencing is a sport that has been on the rise and that we can be among Asia’s best. But it is going to be a very meaningful experience, regardless of winning or losing. I will be getting a lot of knowledge from the whole trip itself.

Fact file

Name: Juliet Heng
Age: 18
Asian Games event: Women’s sabre individual and team
Achievements: