Most athletes are no older than four or five years old when they first begin their main sport. For senior Sophie Liu, she didn’t start fencing until she was almost 12 years old. But her late start has not stopped her from becoming one of the best fencers in the country as her talent has emerged on the world stage.
Liu was brought into the sport by a family friend who had been pushing her to try it for years. “I was a bit apprehensive about it because I had never been exposed to a sport like fencing before and I honestly thought it was a little strange,” Liu said.
She had played soccer, basketball, track, swimming, tennis and more before switching to fencing. Her transition was made difficult by her late start, and she found herself in classes with kids aged five or six who were beginners as well. “But I picked up on things pretty quickly, and I eventually learned to love the sport,” Liu said.
Fencing competitions have been a great opportunity for Liu to explore the world. “I’m just so unbelievably grateful to have been able to travel to so many places in so many different countries and parts of the world,” Liu said.
These trips, though, have not been without difficult, high-level competition. Liu won gold at the Junior Olympics in 2023. She has also made the cadet world team in 2023 and 2024. Most recently, she made the Team USA roster for the world championships.
Friends and teachers say they understand why Liu is able to have so much success as an athlete. The qualities that shine through in her everyday life forge the habits that propel her fencing career. “I think her ability to focus, prepare and do the independent work, both in and out of school, to make sure she has everything ready is really superior,” English teacher Daniel Pecoraro said.
Her dedication to high quality work is clear in her sport. “You can tell she’s a really high level athlete because she dedicates so much of her time practicing and attending travel tournaments,” senior Shivani Jain said.
Liu’s demeanor is known to be humble and low-key. “She can be pretty unassuming but there is more than meets the eye, she’s very humble. Her quality always excels so I assume that’s how she is as a fencer,” Pecoraro said.
Liu’s next step in her fencing career appears to be college, where she intends to compete at the NCAA level.
“Obviously I want to transition from high school to NCAA fencing while also being able to perform at a high level in both international and domestic competitions. But my main goal really is to preserve my passion and love for the sport,” Liu said.
Beyond college, the Olympics present an opportunity for Liu to compete at the biggest stage, and Liu has aspirations to do just that. “I’m also very interested in the Olympics. I obviously need to see where I’m at in the sport in a few years. [Fencing] at the Olympics would be a dream come true if that were to happen,” Liu said.
