Marc Ryser has competed against seven different former Olympians, though he says he hasn't won a match ... yet.
Still, as long as he keeps fencing, he'll have multiple opportunities to keep trying. Former Olympic fencers still compete in local, state and national competitions, along with the novices, the experienced and those with a 40-year career.
"You can't get that from football and you can't get that from basketball," said Ryser, who heads the Northwest Indiana Fencing Club based out of St. John. "In what other sport can a new athlete compete against someone who has been at the highest level?"
The catch about fencing is that a 12-year-old newbie can fence against a 52-year-old newbie in a competition and the two will still learn something new.
It's not like a 12-year-old swimmer trying to compete against a 52-year-old swimmer in the same pool. Age-group swimming kind of precludes that.
Or even a 12-year-old basketball player on the same team as a 52-year-old basketball player.
When it comes to a sport like fencing, don't think Errol Flynn in a mustache on a boat making big, sweeping movements with a sword.
Instead, think a blade and a mask and an electronic system that determines who has made the first strike.
First, you have to be smarter than your opponent. Then you fence. From there, it's strategy and skill. It's chess and checkers with a weapon. You don't need big, sweeping arm movements or acrobatic jumps to win. It's not Hollywood sword fighting.
"What I lost in speed and flexibility over the years, I've more than made up for in experience," Ryser said. "In fencing you can have a career and go to a tournament and see 20-year-olds against 60-year olds."
Staying active at 60 doesn't just mean trudging on a treadmill or walking around a track.
Even if basketball or baseball or hockey were never your sports, the options don't end at water aerobics.
As long as your arm can still hold up the blade and as long as your legs can move forward and backward, there's still a sport out there. You might even have a chance to battle an Olympian.
This column solely represents the opinion of the writer. Reach her at hillary.smith@nwi.com.
