At the age of 10, standing at 1.66 meters tall, the sun-kissed youth Max（Jiaduo）WANG looks even cooler with his fencing outfit on, helmet in place and a long sword in hand as he steps onto the piste. He and his teammates emerged three victories of 27:22, 27:17, and 27:24, winning the men’s epee team gold medal at the 2023 Australian Youth Circuit (AYC) #1 in Melbourne on February 4th.
The journalist visited the Hills Athletic Fencing Club on February 18th, where Max and several fellow fencers were warming up under the guidance of their coach. His T-shirt was soaked through half an hour later, but he continued to practice his footwork and technique, repeatedly moving step by step, thrusting his sword, and taking strides. ‘Fencing training can be quite tedious, but persistence really comes down to love and determination’, said Max’s mother, Echo, who was watching him intently.
This is Max’s third year of practicing fencing, and in that time, he has gone from training at least five times a week to only twice a week now, due to his sixth-grade studies. ‘He used to practice every day in fourth grade to the point where he didn’t even want to practice anymore. Now with busier schoolwork in sixth grade, he cherishes every training opportunity. He really loves fencing, and we made the right choice in selecting this sport,’ Echo said.
Max started practicing fencing in the fourth grade, utilizing weekends and holidays to participate in fencing competitions of all sizes. His hard work has paid off, and his results have been steadily improving:
Peter Witkop Shield U10 Boys EPEE Place 2
2022 Koala Mini Challenge U10 Boys EPEE Place 6 (international competition)
NSW State Teams Championships U10 EPEE Place 2
VOLKER HROVAT SHIELD U10 BOYS EPEE PLACE 3
Max and his mother passed by Hills Athletic Fencing Club three years ago by chance. He fell in love with the sport at first sight. He never gave up despite being bruised and battered during his training. The coach of the club, Chris XU, is a former member of the Chinese national fencing team, a national athlete, and a teammate of Olympic champion Luo Xiaojuan, with extensive coaching experience. Chris said that fencing is known as the “battle between strategists”, where athletes need to design tactics in advance based on their opponents’ characteristics, lure them into their own routines, and then use movement and footwork to restrict their opponents, ultimately achieving victory. “Max is good at using his brain during competitions, which is why his results have always been very stable. He has only lost the championship once or twice in New South Wales and international competitions, and has never fallen out of the top three.” Said Chris.
He has always been considered the ‘golden child’ in the eyes of his peers at Matthew Pearce Public School where he is studying. Not only is he a fencing star and House Captain, but also a straight-A student with excellent academic achievements. Max is someone who can effortlessly balance both his studies and sports well, being a member of the school’s Olympiad math team, as well as a rugby and softball player. He also excels in basketball, football, and badminton, embodying the sportsmanship spirit of perseverance, and positivity.
When it comes to balancing academics and fencing, Max confidently stated, ‘I have learned to be a time manager since the fourth grade, where most of the assignments could be finished during breaks and using fragmented time. Even though facing the pressure of studying in Grade Six and Selective Exam now, I still treat fencing as a hobby and believe that it brings not only knowledge, but also new friends and ability to tackle tough problems in competition, as well as to face failure. I cared too much about the outcomes, but now I have learned to gain experience and learn from others’ strengths through the defeats to win in the next competition and to build up my confidence.’
When asked how he and his team were able to defeat strong opponents and secure the man’s epee team gold medal at the 2023 Australian Youth Circuit (AYC) #1 Melbourne event, Max replied, ‘our opponents may have underestimated us, or perhaps they lacked the same unity that we possess. Team matches involve everyone and require united effort. I hope to help my teammates by analyzing the opponents’ tactics and strategies accordingly. We have serious discussions about who should play whom and work together to achieve our common goal”.
Speaking about his personal aspirations, Max expressed his desire to compete alongside his teammates at the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games and stand on the highest podium of the world stage representing the Australian national team. ( Australian View By Keon YANG)
