Sunnyvale Girl Captures Team Gold At Fencing Tournament

Sunnyvale's Sahana Gautam recently claimed team gold at the North America Cup fencing tournament and continues to work toward her Olympic dreams.

A local girl has won a gold medal at a recent fencing tournament.

At the North American Cup in Los Angeles in April, 15-year-old Sahana Gautam, of Sunnyvale, and her three teammates won gold at team sabre.

Having done many sports when she was younger, Gautam said her mom’s friend got her into fencing. The sport’s free-flowing nature — one that is both physical and psychological — thrills her.

SPONSORED

“It is a constant battle. It is always changing … you really have to think about it,” she said. “You need to be able to adapt to what your opponent is doing. It is like mental chess.”

It wasn’t until the 2004 Olympics in Athens that women competed with the sabre in fencing. Gautam said she likes it because it plays into her strengths — speed and agility — adding that she likes how “slashy” the weapon is.

Although she was a bit nervous at first, after she and her teammates settled into the tournament, she said the team’s chemistry began to gel. Practicing “tunnel vision,” the jittery feeling soon became an intense focus.

A sophomore at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, Gautam trains at Halberstadt Fencing Club in San Francisco. An aspiring Olympian, Gautam said she plans to continue fencing in college.

Sahana’s mother, Jaya Gautam, said she’s noticed some elements of fencing have transferred to daily life, fostering qualities such as time management, prioritization and discipline.

“They really learn a lot of life skills that you would normally see more in adults than kids,” Jaya said. “There is a sort of dedication.”

The sport isn’t just about personal development or exercise, Jaya said. It also forges tight-knit bonds with other girls who share Sahana’s passion.

In addition to competing, Sahana teaches for two hours each Saturday before her practice. Having won a major tournament as part of a team, Sahana said she now has set her sights on winning gold in an individual match in her last year for her age group.

Sahana is ranked No. 1 in the under-19 juniors in Region 4.

That chance to capture individual gold will come in July at the summer nationals in Milwaukee.

Contact David Alexander at d.todd.alexander@gmail.com