SIX months ago the eyes of the world turned to the Gold Coast to watch athletes from all over the Commonweath run, swim, and play their way to glory.

But while people like Teesside swimmer Aimee Willmott and Middlesbrough para-athlete Jade Jones were winning their gold medals, most of the fencers of the Commonwealth were still waiting to hear whether they had made their respective squads.

Fencing is not one of the better known sports, and despite being one of only five to have been in every modern Olympics, it has not been in the main Commonwealth Games since 1970.

 

Laszlo's fencers Rachel Conner-Hill, Helen Rowlands and Duncan Rowlands

Instead, the sport has its own event, held every four years, in the same year as the main games.

I’m flying to Australia this week as part of the team representing Northern Ireland at this year’s event, which takes place in Canberra from November 23 to 28.

Originally from a small village near Downpatrick, in County Down, I’m the current Northern Irish Open champion and have been representing the province at various competitions for more than a decade, as well as Ireland in other internationals.

Now living in Croxdale, near Durham, I train at Laszlo’s Fencing Club, based at Durham University’s Maiden Castle sports centre, on the outskirts of the city under coaches Laszlo Jakab and Darlington fencer Beth Davidson, a former Commonwealth champion.

Laszlo’s, which was recently named as Durham’s club of the year at the Active Durham Sport and Physical Activity Awards, will be well represented in the Aussie capital, with four members making the 10,000 mile trip.

Also competing are Helen and Duncan Rowlands, from Gateshead and Shincliffe fencer Anton Pollard, who will be defending the title he won at the last veteran’s championships.

Helen, who is representing her home island of Guernsey, and I will be going head to head in the senior women’s epee while Duncan, the British champion for his age group, is fighting for England in the men’s over 50s sabre competition and Anton, also for England, in the men’s over 60s epee.

 

Rachel Conner-Hill and Helen Rowlands fencing in last year's North East championships

I started fencing as a teenager, a few of years after being inspired by the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

It was actually modern pentathlon that caught my eye (the combination sport of fencing, cross country running, swimming, pistol shooting and show jumping) but it is fencing which has captured my attention for the last 15 years.

Often referred to as a sporty version of chess, it’s almost as much a mental game as a physical one. One of the most tactical and technical sports around, it’s a constant learning curve and changes with every opponent you face.

This is my second Commonwealth Fencing Championships, having competed in Scotland four years ago, so I’m hoping to improve on my middle-of-the-field result.

But the Commonwealths aren’t known as the “friendly games” for nothing - so regardless of the result it will be a brilliant opportunity to fence and have fun with people from all over the world.