Fencing is a family affair for Halifax’s Anna and Robert Martin.
The siblings will represent Nova Scotia in the sport at the Canada Winter Games in P.E.I. Fencing competition begins Tuesday with the female epee and male foil.
“Five of us have actually fenced,” Anna, 16, said in a recent interview. “The oldest two (20-year-old Charlie and 18-year-old Helen) have aged out because it’s such a low age for fencing. And the youngest one (12-year-old Catherine) is just a bit too young. But all of us have been involved in fencing.”
“It’s a sense of fulfillment, as our family has been in the fencing community for a long time,” added Robert, 15. “Our oldest brother started a little over 10 years ago and now all five of us have been in fencing. So, for our family, who’ve been a big part of fencing in Nova Scotia, to be able to be a part of this large competition like the Canada Games is really great.”
“But if Charlie hadn’t shown an interest in the sport,” Anna continued, “then none of us would be doing this. He started it for us.”
Fencing, with its traditional skills of swordsmanship, has had varying appearances on the Canada Games program.
It was first introduced at the quadrennial multi-sport event in 1995 and remained on the docket until 2003. The sport came back for the 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Que., but returns to the winter schedule for the first time in two decades.
“We were super excited when we heard that it would be included again because we weren’t even sure if we would have a Nova Scotia team,” Anna said. “But we ended up getting it all together last minute so that we could send a team.”
“This should give the sport and the fencing community a boost, which is nice,” Robert added.
Not knowing if fencing would make its return and then losing over a year of competition due to the pandemic made preparation for the Canada Games difficult for the Martins.
“In the past, when there was more funding for our sport, we were able to send fencers to other provinces for competitions,” Anna said. “But with COVID, travelling became risky and it was very hard to prepare for these Games.
“It’s going to be a big surprise as to what the other fencers from the other provinces are like.”
Nova Scotia didn’t send a fencing contingent to the 2013 Games in Sherbrooke.
This week, nine fencers will represent the province on the Island. Joining the Martin siblings at the Canada Games are Dartmouth’s Elijah van de Kieft and Abigail Marshall, Helga Budden, Lester Wong and Florian Friedrich of Halifax, Hatchet Lake’s Aden Goguen and Caitlin Lee of Herring Cove.
“Just going to the Canada Games is already a successful thing,” said Anna, who will compete in epee. “Because Nova Scotia has such a small fencing community, all our competitions were mixed. All the competitions I have been in, I was up against female and male. This is, for me, the first one where it’s only female.
“I've placed quite well when it comes to mixed and open competition. But going against just females, I’m excited for that opportunity. And it’ll be a good bonding experience for both Robert and I.”
Robert, who will compete in foil, said not having any advanced scouting on his competition will temper his expectations.
“Getting any results or any information on any of the other teams is very difficult, especially with COVID,” Robert said. “I’m trying to go with no expectations because there’s really no way to tell if we are better or worse than anyone there.
“In the past, when we sent teams, we weren’t the big driving force winning medals but we didn’t underperform either.
“As long as I give 100 per cent, no matter how well I perform, I know I will have placed the best that I could have. I’ll be happy as long as I give it my all.”
