Melissa started the month in style with a gold medal win at the Leon Paul Junior Series Fencing Competition in Stratford-upon-Avon. Hot on the heels of this success, she was delighted to place 6th in the London round of the LPJS Sabre competition. Melissa put in an excellent performance and a nail-biting semi-final saw her knocked out by her friend and fellow member of the England Fencing team.
Closer to home, Melissa proved herself a force to be reckoned with at the LPJS Cornwall Sabre this half term and proudly headed home with another gold medal to add to her collection.
The 12-year-old continues to go from strength to strength this season as she prepares to compete with the England U13 Fencing Squad in the Challenge Wratislavia in Poland this March.
She trains 3 times a week at the Fencing Salle and this could well increase in preparation for her international debut. She also trains in pole vaulting for 2 hours each week which helps her work on her leg and core strength.
Melissa’s mum, Alison said: “The competitions so far have been excellent preparation for Poland where the number of entries and standard will be extremely high. We are over the moon that she has been chosen to compete at this level and are very proud of her and her commitment to the sport.”
