SRHS Sophomore Attends Fencing Competition in France

Shore Regional High School Sophomore Aidan Johnson is traveling to France this week to compete in the Cadet World Cup fencing championship.
Johnson said he fell in love with the sport of fencing as a young child, after seeing it on television. Additionally, his love for Star Wars sealed the deal.
“If you’re good and you enjoy it, it’s great,” said Johnson, the day before heading to France to compete in his first international championship on Dec. 9 and 10. “Who wouldn’t want to play with swords?”
Johnson said he started training at Atlantic Fencing Academy in Tinton Falls, and moved to Empire United Fencing in Jersey City when he was 12. In January 2017, the Jersey City club merged with the Fencers Club in Manhattan, and now Johnson takes the train to New York City four days a week to train.
He said the tough schedule “teaches you how to get your work done and time management. You’ve got to get homework done during ASP and on the train.”
Although fencing sounds exotic, Johnson said it is a fairly common sport. He explained how the independent aspect of the sport is both the greatest challenge and the greatest reward.
“There’s no team events, it’s all individual. It’s all mental,” he said. “You can be strong physically, but if you’re not strong mentally, there’s no team to back you up.”
Johnson explained that ranking is done by age, and he is categorized as a Cadet, which is generally 14-16-year-olds.
“If I do well, I move up in ranking, and either go to Slovakia or Italy in January,” he said. He made the top 20 in the Cadet category, which qualified him to attend the World Cup. Good luck to Aidan Johnson!