For many reasons, my family is not exactly “normal”. We play Dungeons & Dragons instead of playing outside. We eat various foods from around the world, some that others may never had heard of before. We perform bizarre rituals, like rain dancing or wearing our pajamas inside out, when we want a snow day to occur. Therefore, when it comes to sports, we do not play soccer, play basketball, play football or any other sports one may think of normally. Instead, we fence.

I started fencing when I was in 4th Grade. Even though I tried swimming and Tae Kwon Do before, I treated fencing as my first actual sport. I thought it was fascinating. In fencing, I did not need to be fast, strong, or relatively fit. Fencing mattered just as much with planning and strategy than pure physical power. Fencing was as much a game of the mind as of the body. At least, that is what I thought.

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I became significantly less excited with fencing when I encountered one of its component parts: dueling. I was a 4th Grader in a classroom filled with mostly teenagers and adults, including my two older brothers. When I tried to face other students, I was always slower, weaker, and shorter armed than my opponent was. Unsurprisingly, I often lost, which disheartened me.

When I was unsure of continuing fencing, my fencing teacher told me the phrase, “Practice makes permanent.” He told me that I could never be truly the best at my skills, but if I practiced and persevered through my challenges, I would always get better. I thought his adage was strange, but I took his advice regardless.

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I worked harder. When the class exercised, I went beyond my normal tolerance. When we practiced our maneuvers, I practiced longer than I previously practiced. When my teacher and fellow students gave advice, I embraced their suggestions rather than overlook them. I did what I could to improve.

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The next time I dueled someone, I had the confidence that I could finally win a duel. I worked hard to improve my fencing skills despite my physical inferiority. Disappointingly, I also lost that duel. However, I did not let that duel stop me. In fact, I used that duel as a learning experience, and tried to work on my weaknesses revealed through it. I kept practicing, learning, and even dueling more to improve. Finally, after a long period of work, I could finally win at a duel, and not only rarely, but on common occasion. I had reached my goal, but I did not stop there. I kept practicing afterwards, always seeking to improve myself more.

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Even though I stopped fencing in 8th Grade, and fencing did not really relate to my school life, I believe my fencing experience helped me grow in Persistence. From this experience, I developed the ethic to work beyond my challenges and to strive for improvement. I refused to give up my goals, even with repeated failures, and when I met my goal, I strived to move beyond it. My fencing gear represent the long years of dedication and practice I performed through my experience of fencing, which may have inspired my work ethic for my school affairs and other aspects of my life. To this day, I believe in the ability to overcome challenges, and I take the phrase “Practice makes permanent.” to heart.