Ninth grader Ella Nguyen remembers the days she wanted to quit fencing. Exhausted and overwhelmed, she sat in her fencing club as she watched her teammates practice. Years of rigorous training and high expectations from her parents started to make her doubt her passions for the sport.
As she looked up at the faces of her closest friends who she grew up with, Ella stood back up and picked up her épée. She wasn’t ready to give up.
Winning a gold medal for U-High at her recent fencing tournament is just one of many achievements in her brightly waiting career. By successfully balancing academics and fencing, Ella stands out not only for her skill but for her persistence and openness to advice from her coach, peers and even her brother.
Ella began fencing when she was 6, inspired by her older brother, Tate Nguyen, a senior.
“I started fencing because my brother did it one summer,” Ella said. “I’d be left at practices with him, so when I got old enough, I joined, too.”
Soon, fencing evolved into a deeper passion. She created lasting friendships with teammates she calls her “second family” through many practices, camps and tournaments.
Coach Serguy Kravenchenko at Windy City Fencing, who Ella calls “father like,” has coached Ella since she was 8. He has played an important role in her fencing career.
“Ella respects her opponents, her coaches, and her teammates,” Mr. Kravenchenko said. “She has grown from a little cute cat into a cute tiger. She is completely different.”
Her coach’s philosophy affected Ella.
“I try to make my students not just good fencers, but good people,” Mr. Kravenchenko said.
Tate has also been an important part of his sister’s fencing career. A skilled fencer himself, Tate often supports Ella during tournaments with technical feedback and emotional support.
“I make sure to be there while she’s fencing because I know her style,” he said. “Psychology is such a big part of the sport, so I help her stay calm and focused.”
Ella admits that fencing was not an easy journey.
“I really disliked the sport for a while,” she said, “but I realized how far I’d come and started focusing on myself rather than comparing myself to others.”
This shift in mindset along with the encouragement of her coach and teammates has helped her regain a motivation for the sport.
Ella’s adoption of a French grip — a style less common in épée — has helped refine her technique, particularly against taller opponents, being able to overcome her limits coming from her comparably shorter height.
Mr. Kravchenko believes this technical change was important but also thinks Ella’s true strength lies in her resilience.
“The grip might change her technique, but her strong heart stays the same,” he said. “If she wants something, she will get it 100%.”
Tate agreed with his coach, emphasizing Ella’s strong mentality.
“When she has her mind set to something, she doesn’t give up,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ella wants to compete internationally, following her brother’s footsteps.
“My short-term goal is to stay consistent in practice and improve my strategy,” she said. “Long-term, I want to earn a national medal and fence internationally someday.”
She’s still not ready to give up.
