Georgina Love, who trains at Space Coast Olympic Fencing, made sports history recently when she won medals in two Olympic style fencing events — Epee and Foil.
She won gold in the Vet 60 Women’s Epee as well as gold in the Vet 60 Women’s Foil at the recent North American Cup in St. Louis.
“I was thrilled,’’ Love said. “I came from being a clumsy person to this. I was never a sports person. I started this at age 42.”
The North American Cup events to qualify for the Veteran World Championships are held twice yearly, culminating at the Summer Nationals where points are tallied and teams are announced. The top four in each weapon are named to the team.
In Olympic-style fencing, there are three weapons: Epee, Foil and Sabre. Love’s win in two weapons is a great feat.
Love, 63, lives in Fort Pierce but has been training at Space Coast Olympic Fencing in Viera under the coaching of Maestro Daniel Bucur, a former European Fencing Champion from Romania.
“Georgina came to me six years ago with the goal of winning the Veterans Division at the Nationals,’’ Bucur said. “Through much hard work and dedication, she developed into a national contender. What she has accomplished in winning these two national titles simultaneously in two weapons is unprecedented. It is truly an outstanding accomplishment.’’
Bucur fenced for the Romanian National Team, and he later served in the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of captain.
Love was down 0-5 early in the finals but came back and defeated Jeanette Starks-Faulkner of Connecticut in the finals of Foil in a thrilling 10-9 upset. She then defeated USA No.1 Valerie Asher of Washington D.C. in the finals of Epee by a lopsided 10-4 score.
With a gold medal in Foil and a bronze from the January event, Love has accrued enough points for the Veteran foil team. The two gold medals in Epee, the first one from January as well, again give Love enough points to qualify for the team.
“I am so thrilled,” Love said. “It was so nice getting messages from all my friends in Florida and having my Space Coast fencers root for me. I’m so glad I didn’t let anyone down. When I called Maestro immediately after my win, he answered, ‘Yay.’ ”
“Georgina has proved once again that age is just a number,” said Charlie Williams, a fellow Space Coast Olympic Fencing classmate. “If you have the will to learn, you will succeed. Even at the highest levels.”
Space Coast Olympic Fencing is in Viera. It offers classes for children in elementary school, middle school, high school, college, adults and seniors. For more information, check out SpaceCoastOlympicFencing.com.
