Fencing is one of those sports you've definitely seen before
but probably don't understand beyond the fact that it's fast and old -- very old.
But this is a sport that is as 21st century as it gets.
The highest tech event you will see at these Olympic games
so no surprise one of its brightest stars.
[Announcer] We have a new world champion --
[Reporter] ...Is among the youngest on Canada's Olympic team.
Jessica, very nice to meet you.
Hi.
How are you feeling?
Good. Great day.
Nervous about the Olympics coming up?
Yes, very nervous.
You know I was talking to the owner here just a moment ago
and he was telling me that you basically get this whole place to yourself.
Yeah I do because of COVID there's a lot less people coming in
because of their restrictions so I'm usually the only one here with
like some of my teammates to train with and my coach.
Yeah he told me the whole place is closed except for Jessica.
Just for me.
[Reporter] Jessica started fencing at age six.
Before long she was traveling the world competing.
And in her age group she's one of Canada's best.
So I've seen enough of you in competition to know that you're good, you're really good.
But I don't know enough about the sport to understand why you're so good.
What is it about you that that makes you at this level?
Well, a lot of people say like fencing is like a chess game but moving
so I guess a lot of times that you have to be able to kind of outsmart your opponent
with your tactics and then that's how you're able to win
but also using like endurance and strength that's a big part of it
but most of it is like a mind game.
You know when I was watching some of your competitions actually
I mean you hear the the weapons, you hear the tink tink tink.
But then every once in a while after a really intense back and forth one of the fencers will just scream.
What's going on there?
Well a lot of times it's because you're very nervous
and then you're trying to release like the nerves after getting a touch
but then also sometimes it's just to celebrate and being like yay, like after this long battle
I got this amazing touch and you're just happy and celebrating.
Are you taught to scream that way?
Yeah lot of beginners are taught to be once you go to competition
you should scream and forcefully.
Sometimes the coaches be like at the start of the match
the first few touches, just scream at any touch you get
and sometimes they'll be like even if you it's not your touch
you should scream because sometimes it actually convinces and persuades the ref
in a kind of way to give you the touch.
Sometimes it's an iffy call
and if you scream you're confident so then they'll give the touch to you.
Do you think about intimidating your opponents?
Yeah, it's very intimidating.
What do your friends think?
Do you feel like they they get it, like they understand all the work that you're putting into it
and that they understand your sport?
I think they definitely know that I put in a lot of work into fencing
because I travel so much
but I don't think they necessarily know how fencing works itself
because they ask a lot of questions like, oh like can it go through you or...?
[Andrew] Can you get impaled?
Yeah like how does that work?
So then I have to explain it to them but it's just very fun to explain.
We talked a little bit about Tokyo.
Yeah.
But what are your expectations in Tokyo?
I don't have that many expectations but I really want to medal with my team
in team event and that would be very, very exciting just to stand on the podium
with the team and just to enjoy the moment
but also individual medal would be great too.
You're also pretty young though.
Yeah.
You must think about the long game.
Yeah.
Right like it's not all about these games?
Yeah.
Tell me a little bit about that like your perspective going in.
Well, I guess I obviously have long-term plans
so I guess for the first this Tokyo Olympics
I'm just planning on getting the experience I need for like future Olympics
if I want to do better and like kind of get the feel of how it works
to prepare myself for future Olympics if i get in.
And are you thinking beyond Tokyo but even beyond fencing
in terms of like what you want to study later or what kind of work you want to do?
I do want to go into the med field
and I really want to be a surgeon but I don't know yet.
It does strike me that you're saying this in the middle of a pandemic.
Yes.
Has that changed the way you think?
There's been a lot of like deaths obviously and a lot of people are struggling
so I know that I do want to help people with these skills if I attend medical school.
OK, Jessica, thank you so much.
Best of luck to you.
Thank you.