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| 74-year-old woman unites head and body through fencing. | 74-year-old woman unites head and body through fencing. |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| RICHMOND — Left hand raised just so, her epee extended with the right, Bettie Graham advances with deliberation and guile, probing for a vulnerability or a split-second’s lapse in which she might score with her weapon’s tip. | RICHMOND — Left hand raised just so, her epee extended with the right, Bettie Graham advances with deliberation and guile, probing for a vulnerability or a split-second’s lapse in which she might score with her weapon’s tip. |
| At the Chevy Chase Fencing Club, where she trains four days each week, Graham takes on all comers, including teens and grown men. But here at the Richmond Convention Center, she’s pitted against her peers — women in their 70s — and vanquished two on Saturday before a loss relegated her to a bronze-medal finish in the North American Cup’s veteran epee for women 70 and older. | At the Chevy Chase Fencing Club, where she trains four days each week, Graham takes on all comers, including teens and grown men. But here at the Richmond Convention Center, she’s pitted against her peers — women in their 70s — and vanquished two on Saturday before a loss relegated her to a bronze-medal finish in the North American Cup’s veteran epee for women 70 and older. |
| “I can’t complain about that,” said Graham, 74, just months removed from surgery and chemotherapy for breast cancer. “I’m still learning, even after all these years. I’m still learning. You have to get your head and your body together.” | “I can’t complain about that,” said Graham, 74, just months removed from surgery and chemotherapy for breast cancer. “I’m still learning, even after all these years. I’m still learning. You have to get your head and your body together.” |
| [D.C.’s Kat Holmes is perfectly placed to win fencing’s mental game] | [D.C.’s Kat Holmes is perfectly placed to win fencing’s mental game] |
| Graham, a Washington resident who works with the National Human Genome Research Institute, is part of the rich tapestry of 783 fencers competing in Richmond through Monday. They include young teens, Rio-bound Olympians and men and women in their 50s, 60s and 70s, such as Graham, who are vying for ranking points and national titles. | Graham, a Washington resident who works with the National Human Genome Research Institute, is part of the rich tapestry of 783 fencers competing in Richmond through Monday. They include young teens, Rio-bound Olympians and men and women in their 50s, 60s and 70s, such as Graham, who are vying for ranking points and national titles. |
| “Fencing attracts a lot of Type A individuals,” says Donald Anthony Jr., president of USA Fencing and a former Ivy League fencing champion who competes in the 50s age group. “Most of the people who come here, I would say, have specific objectives in mind: They want to make a [national] team; they want to accomplish a result. They’re doing this because they enjoy it, but they have personal goals and objectives.” | “Fencing attracts a lot of Type A individuals,” says Donald Anthony Jr., president of USA Fencing and a former Ivy League fencing champion who competes in the 50s age group. “Most of the people who come here, I would say, have specific objectives in mind: They want to make a [national] team; they want to accomplish a result. They’re doing this because they enjoy it, but they have personal goals and objectives.” |
| Fencing had long been on Graham’s list of things to try later in life. It was only after two co-workers lost sons at a tragically young age that Graham realized, in her late 50s, that there is no guarantee of “later in life.” So she signed up for weekly fencing lessons through the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, where 2016 U.S. Olympic fencer Kat Holmes also got her start. | Fencing had long been on Graham’s list of things to try later in life. It was only after two co-workers lost sons at a tragically young age that Graham realized, in her late 50s, that there is no guarantee of “later in life.” So she signed up for weekly fencing lessons through the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation, where 2016 U.S. Olympic fencer Kat Holmes also got her start. |
| As others Graham’s age dropped out from one week to the next, she doubled-down on lessons in epee and foil. Before long, Graham was the lifeblood of the club, according to Coach Ray Finkleman, who has run the program for 40 years, bringing in brownies, supervising practices when coaches were out, chiding youngsters who might be fooling around too much. | |
| And she fenced with all, from 13-year-olds to adults her age. | And she fenced with all, from 13-year-olds to adults her age. |
| “A lot of older people don’t like to fence with the young kids because they’re too fast,” Graham said. “But for me, I fence with them because they make you move! And I like to fence with the senior ones because they make you think!” | “A lot of older people don’t like to fence with the young kids because they’re too fast,” Graham said. “But for me, I fence with them because they make you move! And I like to fence with the senior ones because they make you think!” |
| It was only to quiet her coach that she finally agreed to enter a competition and found she loved that, too. | It was only to quiet her coach that she finally agreed to enter a competition and found she loved that, too. |
| “The people are just fabulous,” said Graham, who won gold as a member of the veteran world epee team in 2013 and in 2011 won the national epee championship in her age group. “Women are very different; we hit each other, and we say, ‘Oh, are you hurt? I didn’t mean to do that!’ We’re friends, but on the [competition floor], we’re competitors. They are your competitors, but your friends.” | “The people are just fabulous,” said Graham, who won gold as a member of the veteran world epee team in 2013 and in 2011 won the national epee championship in her age group. “Women are very different; we hit each other, and we say, ‘Oh, are you hurt? I didn’t mean to do that!’ We’re friends, but on the [competition floor], we’re competitors. They are your competitors, but your friends.” |
| [Top fencers arrive in Richmond with swords — and a point] | [Top fencers arrive in Richmond with swords — and a point] |
| As many as 40 fencing bouts are underway at once in Richmond’s cavernous convention hall, punctuated by primal screams and yowls that indicate someone has scored a point. | As many as 40 fencing bouts are underway at once in Richmond’s cavernous convention hall, punctuated by primal screams and yowls that indicate someone has scored a point. |
| The women in their 70s, the oldest age group for male or female fencers, aren’t so bellicose. They’re serious about their sport but not savage. | The women in their 70s, the oldest age group for male or female fencers, aren’t so bellicose. They’re serious about their sport but not savage. |
| A few minutes before each bout, Graham is briefed by Finkleman, who reviews her opponent’s tendencies. Then she takes a moment to collect her thoughts, assumes her stance on the “strip” and pulls the visor over her face. | A few minutes before each bout, Graham is briefed by Finkleman, who reviews her opponent’s tendencies. Then she takes a moment to collect her thoughts, assumes her stance on the “strip” and pulls the visor over her face. |
| It was this time last year that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Surgery followed in May, then her first chemotherapy treatment in July. Throughout the treatments she kept going to work, telecommuting on the roughest days. She also kept going to the gym to do resistance training. And even before she could resume practice, she showed up at the fencing club to referee. | It was this time last year that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Surgery followed in May, then her first chemotherapy treatment in July. Throughout the treatments she kept going to work, telecommuting on the roughest days. She also kept going to the gym to do resistance training. And even before she could resume practice, she showed up at the fencing club to referee. |
| “I just felt I had to keep going,” Graham said. “I had to maintain as much a normal life as possible. And I did. I don’t ever see myself quitting fencing.” | “I just felt I had to keep going,” Graham said. “I had to maintain as much a normal life as possible. And I did. I don’t ever see myself quitting fencing.” |