Fencing towards inclusion

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your experience?

My name is Rania, I'm from Singapore. I was a Youth Olympian in 2010 in fencing, on home soil, and have been a very proud member of the IOC Young Leaders Programme since 2018.

I actually only took up fencing in 2008. I joined my national team in 2009 and won Singapore’s first gold medal at the Asian Cadet Championship, thanks to which I qualified for the Youth Olympic Games [YOG]. Taking part in such a big international competition was unexpected for me. It was my very first time on such a huge stage. It was also held on home soil, which was very special for me. I obviously really enjoyed it. I met so many different people from so many different countries, and learnt a lot more about different cultures. I got the chance to return to the YOG eight years later in Buenos Aires in a different capacity, as a Young Change-Maker. I was lucky to get that role. 

In 2010, when I had recently taken up fencing, it was really a lot of fun. But equally there was also a sort of pressure because all my friends and my family were there. But coming back in 2018 as a mentor to young athletes helped me understand what it meant to prepare for the Games.

Eight months before, through the Young Change-Makers Programme, we had monthly tasks to help promote the YOG on social media. I got to know other Young Leaders on the programme. I was really able to appreciate the efforts that went into organising the Games and understand that they were not only about competition, but also values like friendship. I tried to encourage my athletes to get the most out of the Games; not just the competitions, but also after their events: to relax, make friends and enjoy the atmosphere at the [Youth Olympic] Village in Buenos Aires.

What got you into fencing?

I was actually just walking past a fencing school and thought sword fighting looked really cool. So I signed up for a class and started fencing, and it was really fun. I started as a foilist, as that was the predominant discipline in my club. My coach said that I fenced like an épéeist, so I switched to the épée one year later when I started competing. Then I fenced for fun for my university. I was part of the team that won the gold medal in 2014 at the Commonwealth Games. Then I retired in 2018, having made it into the top 100 in the world.

What has sport given you?

Sport has helped me learn about myself, and other people. It forced me to come out of my comfort zone. I came to understand what it meant to persevere with discipline, and how to work with your coach and the team. Then when you go overseas, it's about understanding other cultures. And subsequently, when I became a Young Leader for the IOC, I understood that sport was about so much more than just individual benefits; it also allowed me to form really close communities and groups of friends, not only when I was in Singapore but even outside my country. But sport is even more than that. It’s also a platform that can enable social change and foster a lot more development within and across countries.

I was fortune enough to represent the IOC at summits like the Global Social Business Summit, hosted by Prof. Yunus. These types of experiences got me fascinated in the topic of sport and social development, which led me to pursue a part-time Master’s degree in social innovation, which I am still doing now.

What does the Young Leaders Programme mean for you, and what did you take from it?

I was given the chance to start my own sport-related social project. I was granted CHF 5,000 and I decided to launch wheelchair fencing in Singapore. One month after I started my foil classes, I tore three ligaments in my ankle while ice skating. I was in a wheelchair for six months and had to have an operation. It was a very difficult period for me. But my fencing coach never gave up on me and saw the potential there. So he suggested that I attend the lesson while sitting on a chair and that I do the hand work with him. That’s how I started fencing in a chair. The second major reason was that, during my time in the UK, being part of the team helped me stay in touch with my group of friends; it was a place where I always felt at home and comfortable. But I noticed how the wheelchair fencers would train with us and were fully integrated into our training programme. This created a very collegial environment. Inspired by this experience, I thought that we in Singapore should also give people with disabilities the opportunity to try fencing. I worked with my local federation and we managed to stage quite a few inclusive sports events. Fencing Singapore became an inclusive sports federation in 2010.

What did you learn?

I guess I learned a lot more about myself, and what it meant to lead and manage a project. I also learned so much more about inclusion, which is a topic of deep interest for me. Being from a minority group, as a woman from an ethnic background, I feel like the topic of inclusion is close to my heart. When I started working on wheelchair fencing with people with disabilities, I really had to be more mindful and sensitive as I didn’t have anyone close to me who was living with a disability. There are so many types of disabilities; I realised that I could be more mindful. There are still so many things to be done for inclusion regardless of gender, origin or disability. The other thing I was very intrigued about when launching my project is that when there is a good initiative, you can see a tangible impact. I felt like there was a certain limit of scale in terms of what I could achieve. If I want to achieve more social impact through sport, I may not necessarily think that this is the best way to achieve that kind of outcome, simply because wheelchair fencing may not be the most accessible sport for a lot of people. Right now, our biggest challenge is to gather enough people to really start the sessions.

What is the story and the objective behind your project?

My long-term objective is to send an inclusive fencing team to the Paris 2024 Paralympics. But we want to form a community, starting with weekly sessions. For me, fencing always starts with a community, and I wanted that for other people. Right now there are obviously some challenges with COVID-19, which makes it even more difficult. My longer-term objective is the sustainability of my sport, now that it’s in the good hands of local organisations like Fencing Singapore and the Singapore Disability Sports Council.

What do you think has been the biggest impact on your community? What are you most proud of?

Launching and being featured in an inclusive sports event festival. I think it showed that it was possible for an individual to launch and create something. What I’m really proud of is the moment when I was in one of the workshop fencing halls where a local competition was being held. The fencers were cheering and shouting. That was the first time a lot of my wheelchair fencers had ever tried fencing.They were aware and were briefed about the rules and safety but they were quite nervous. But once they got into the game, and on seeing their spirit, how they were shouting and how happy they were, I realised they had true fighting spirit, even more than the fencers who’ve done this for years. It made me really proud to see how much joy that brought them. It reminded me of the first time I started fencing myself.

In July, we were part of the PAssion Let's Play Day in Sembawang! Keep tuned for our feature this Sunday :) #wheelchairfencing Singapore Disability Sports Council Fencing Singapore

Posted by Wheelchair Fencing - Singapore on Friday, October 4, 2019

What do you think about Panasonic’s support for the programme, and how did this make a difference?

I'm very grateful to Panasonic. They were a great support to my project from the very start. They granted me CHF 5,000 the first year and CHF 3,000 in the second year: a total of CHF 8,000 with which I bought wheelchairs for fencing and the necessary equipment, all of which is very expensive as you can imagine. They also invited me to Japan three times, twice to Tokyo and once to Osaka, where I got to visit their headquarters and museum. I really like their philosophy, so I’m very grateful for these opportunities. During the first visit, I gave a talk in a local school to children with disabilities to explain my project to them. We did a short film together. The second time was in Tokyo again, for the IOC Youth Summit. And the last time was in Osaka with the judging panel for all these videos that were put together for children. It enabled me to understand the hospitality of my Japanese hosts. I remember going to their museum, where I was really struck by something called “the path”. Each of us has a path that is ours and ours alone to follow. We don’t really know where this path will take us. We know that no one else will have anything like it. That really resonated with me on many levels.

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

My project has been taken up by local organisations, and I really hope to see it continue. Even if we don’t send anyone to the Paralympics, having people competing in wheelchair fencing in four years would be a really good outcome. As for me, I'm going to spend the next year-and-a-half focusing on completing my Master’s programme. I’d like to stay active in the IOC Young Leaders Programme. It has always been so dear to me, meeting wonderful people who I love, to keep this energy and spirit going. I’m looking forward to taking what I’ve learned on the IOC Young Leaders Programme to my corporate day job.

What do you think our future world needs?

I think that we don’t just need change, but people who are really hopeful. We need to understand what we can achieve as individuals and collectively, and how we can do that. A lot of people start out with great ideas and energy, but sometimes along the way, when there are challenges, it’s easy for the enthusiasm to fade. It’s very important to remember why you are sent out to do what you ought to do. Sometimes it's very important to be realistic and change your expectations or goals along the way, having a clear idea of what you can achieve. Also not being too caught up on doing things a certain way; that will be helpful in keeping your spirit up.