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01/16/2024 11:27 AMJoy Deng only just recently got into the sport of fencing upon her arrival into the Nutmeg State. Yet she has certainly made up for lost time, while grasping the essential skills and tenets of the competition as one of the newest members of the North Branford co-op team. She has additionally gained major national recognition in the process.
The sophomore participated in sports casually growing up, with swimming and ping pong. Upon moving to Connecticut a couple years ago, Joy invested her time into fencing with training, before being part of a group of Spartans fencers that now joined a co-op venture with North Branford this winter.
Joy just returned from USA Fencing’s Junior Olympics CT Qualifier event, with a gold medal in the cadet and a silver in the junior women’s épée events on Dec.16-17, respectively. Her performance earned her an opportunity to compete at USA Fencing’s Junior Olympic Championships, to be held February 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“I was not as nervous going into it, because I had been in big tournaments before,” says Joy of the Junior Olympics. “I just thought I would try my best and see what happens. I won and it was exciting. I also made friends with some of the other fencers there. Overall, it was a really good experience, and I was glad to achieve this honor and hit my goal.”
Joy competes in debatably the most difficult discipline with épée. She has learned the necessity of shying away from any sudden movements. She certainly does not see it as a curse, but rather a blessing to truly get into the cerebral component of the sport.
“It has the largest target area, and you have your whole body exposed as the target area,” Joy says. “It is about being patient, because you cannot do anything rash. You have to pay attention to the setup, go for the attack, and be ready to defend. It is challenging but helped me grow.”
Speaking more to her mental maturation as an athlete, Joy denotes she discovered to take the longview. She now understands it is not about going for the triumph in one maneuver, and goes down a slower, steadier road to victory.
“At the beginning, I was really concentrating on winning the match overall and would get frustrated,” Joy says. “Now, I just focus on the point at hand and study the opponents’ patterns. I am also more concerned now about just gaining experience through matches.”
Joy praises her newfound teammates and colleagues with North Branford. She explains the Thunderbirds have certainly welcomed her and the other Amity members into their flock with open arms.
“I really like the North Branford kids; they are very friendly and have helped the Amity students a lot,” says Joy. “There are two other kids from Amity, and so we have about a half hour drive from Woodbridge to North Branford, but it is really nice for North Branford to recognize us for our talents and achievements. I already feel there is a sense of team unity and collaboration here.”
North Branford Head Coach Carrington Ward views Joy as someone who takes great pride in not only the ascendancy to the top in the form of a victory, but also the climb to it.
“As a sport, fencing can be a long, dry march; it is extremely technical and often there is a sharp gap between established athletes and those who are just beginning. In fencing, the trail that aspiring athletes follow fights back,” says Ward. “As such, Joy brings to the sport the persistence and grit she has needed to get the taste for success. She also brings the humor, curiosity, and acute perception that makes her a great teammate, as well as a tough competitor.”
Ward has helped assist Joy with sharpening her skills on the strip, as well as the others. Joy adds that the entire squad is on the right path to prominence, with a consistent and collective focus on objectives and targets.
“When the Amity kids came to North Branford, Coach Ward gave us some lessons, and we did some target drills on foot and hand touches, along with certain types of lunges,” says Joy. “For the team, we have common goals and support each other. Each member of the team has different strengths. We are all just trying to grow our skills while benefiting the team.”
Fencing has been quite a learning implement for Joy, for all aspects of her life. She declares it has bolstered her knowledge of how to stay focused, even when adversity is flung in her direction. The competition and its true thinking nature has taught her composure, while crafting a knack of when to pick at the most opportune spots.
“Fencing has taught me how to be patient, and when to seize opportunities as they arise,” says Joy. “I have also learned how to not be so down about one loss or setback; you just have to be patient and calm.”