Fencer aims for Olympic gold
With big dreams of winning gold at the Olympics one day, the 16-year-old Anokha van Menen is giving her sport of choice, fencing, her all.
POLOKWANE – She chose fencing, she explained, as she believes it is the coolest sport and that it gives her a platform to meet new friends.
“I used to play soccer but when I saw an article in the newspaper about fencing, something in me just clicked. I knew that it was something I would like to try,” she said.
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Practising the sport for the past two years has afforded her with the opportunity to participate in several competitions.
She won medals at national events, including silver in the u/20 foil team event at the Junior African Championships. She also won several medals at the recent Arnold Classics Africa in Johannesburg.
When she is not fencing she loves taking part in other sport such as jujitsu and squash.
She also has a musical side and plays the piano and violin whenever she gets the chance.
“I do not take part in competitions with my music, it is just something I love to do. It helps me to relax,” she explained.
Anokha is homeschooled and said a sport like fencing brings people in a club closer together as they share the same interests.
Her role model is Andrew Howard who inspires her to be better all the time.
She is also one of the fencers from the Firebird Fencing Club who will join the action at the Commonwealth Games in Newcastle, England in July this year.
