Impressive academic achievements of 2 female fencers

Information about the education of two female athletes who won gold medals in fencing at the Olympic Games is attracting international attention. The two athletes are Vivian Kong of Hong Kong (China) and Lee Kiefer of the United States.

Vivian Kong won the gold medal in the women's singles fencing event. Before pursuing fencing, Vivian tried ballet and taekwondo. She started fencing at age 11 and quickly improved by using the speed of taekwondo and the flexibility of ballet.

While pursuing a high-performance sports career, Vivian also pursued her education. After graduating from high school, she majored in international relations at the prestigious Stanford University in the US. The 30-year-old athlete also holds a master's degree in law from Renmin University of China.

She is currently pursuing a doctorate in law at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Vivian is making waves in her home country after winning a gold medal at the Olympics.

Chinese media reports that many fencing schools in Hong Kong are seeing a rapid increase in the number of students. Both adults and children are flocking to fencing centers to enroll. Many parents in particular have decided to send their children to fencing classes after learning that this sport is considered an intellectual sport.

Besides Vivian Kong, the academic path of American athlete Lee Kiefer (30 years old) also attracted much attention. She won the gold medal in women's individual and women's team foil at the 2024 Olympics.

During her career, Lee won three gold medals at two Olympic Games. She is considered the most successful female fencer in American sports history.

Before Lee, no American fencer had won an Olympic gold medal in an individual event.

Lee Kiefer graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in scientific research, and then went on to study pharmacy at the University of Kentucky (USA). In the Lee family, fencing is a shared passion. Her father is a neurosurgeon who also pursued fencing.

Lee, her older sister, and younger brother all took up fencing early on and became professional athletes. Lee's older sister, Alex Kiefer, is a famous fencer in the United States. Alex attended Harvard University and is now a doctor.

Lee's husband, Gerek Meinhardt, is also a professional fencer who has competed in the Olympic Games four times.

When learning about the personal lives of Vivian Kong and Lee Kiefer, the international media was shocked by the educational path they pursued alongside their sports careers.

In fact, fencing has always been considered a very intellectual sport. The high level of education of good fencers makes this statement even more convincing.

Why is fencing a mind sport?

Fencing requires a combination of physical strength and quick tactical thinking. The challenges that fencers face on a regular basis are often those of "psychological warfare".

Often good fencers are also people who know how to "play psychology", they have a strong inner self and know how to "read" their opponents. Some requirements for "psychological warfare" for fencers include:

High concentration: This concentration is used to observe the opponent's movements, to predict the opponent's sword path and have a quick, accurate response. Maintaining high concentration throughout the match is a challenge that not everyone can do.

Ability to control emotions: Controlling emotions is an important requirement in fencing. Fencing practitioners must control their emotions well during the competition, absolutely avoiding letting chaotic emotions distract concentration.

Quick reaction time: Fencing is often compared to chess, as the athlete must quickly observe the opponent's moves and come up with appropriate strategies during the match. Therefore, fencing is considered a psychologically challenging sport and requires very sharp tactical thinking.