"Fencing is combat. You go up against another person, and the only reason you are there is to mess them up. The time interval when you have a person controlling that weapon, that person controls that weapon every millisecond. You have to be strong psychologically, strong emotionally. You have to be brave. You need to be physically strong and have good balance. Mentally you have to be very, very quick.

The toughest part about transitioning into a top-notch fencer is facing reality and getting rid of denial. I approach fencing by not giving myself any excuses. It is a sport where if you were to approach it like combat, you're going to get killed if you say you don't feel well today. The other guy is going to try to ruin your day. Your job is to do everything you can to keep that from happening.

The most memorable stuff is not about the medals... they are things to show my kids. The thing that I feel most proud of is me being able to control myself in intense situations and overcoming fear and anxiety."

-Wang Yung, as interviewed by Joe Kaiser in Northwest Asian Weekly, July 21, 2001
posted by G at 1:56 AM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33