Ready to fight his opponent, sophomore Kevin Zhan draws his sword, prepared to find an opening and defeat any challenge he faces.
Over the years, Zhan has made many memorable accomplishments. Through his hard work of practicing fitness and fencing every day of the week, Zhan placed third nationally at the Air Force Academy competition in Denver, held on September 28, 2024. Training with his coach, Sergei Golubitsky, a Ukrainian fencer and three-time world champion in men’s foil, Zhan is learning all the tips and tricks to winning.
“I think it’s the mentality. You have to think [about] how to beat your opponent, and when you are losing, you can’t let that continue,” Zhan said. “You need to have good and quick thinking skills, as well as endurance.”
As Zhan’s passion grows due to his interest in the challenges and uniqueness of the sport, he plans to do it professionally/competitively and continues to train for competitions.
“There is a lot of running and jumping. You have to do strength training and begin to work on your physical fencing skills. One good advice that I would give to others would be when you’re not winning in a match, you have to stop that and continue forward,” Zhan said.
Zhan aims to be the best version of himself in fencing, so he follows his coach’s advice to build on his skills. He hopes to expand his game knowledge through his coach and improve his weaknesses.
“He tells me to focus on point control, lunges, footwork and certain actions,” Zhan said. “I have to improve my footwork and my distance to get better.”
Throughout many competitions, Zhan has always found a way to focus his mind and energy on the opponent in front of him. Since the age of nine, Zhan has been introduced to fencing by his father and has found inspiration from him. Zhan believes his coach’s encouragement and confidence in his ability to win will allow him to succeed.
“When I compete, I’m happy. I feel locked in and in my own zone. My [mindset] is to always win,” Zhan said. “I am very proud of my accomplishment at the Denver tournament.”
