Jamie Fitzgerald admits it was a random decision that led him into his chosen sport of fencing. That random decision could take him all the way to the Olympics in London in 2012.

Not that he is in any rush. At 18, he still has time on his side as he seeks to make an impact on fencing at international level.

Last month in Aix-en-Provence, he won his first junior World Cup event beating the best talent in his age-group and 2010 promises to be an important year.

The World Junior Championships take place in Azerbaijan [it won the right to host the event ahead of the more glamorous Las Vegas] and Fitzgerald will take part in senior World Cup events, all being well.

The former Dunfermline High School pupil first picked up the sport when Ken Rose, coach at the West Fife club, took a six-week introductory block at Fitzgerald’s primary school.
It turned out he was a natural and Rose spotted the potential and has helped plot his fencing career which saw him move to London last year to take up with the British Pathways programme.

"It started off for me when I went to after-school club classes at primary school. I was about nine and I just thought I'd give it a shot as it was something different,” the fencer recalls.

"It was just a random decision to go along that day but I liked it immediately. It was just a six-week block initially, but I was told I had and it wasn't long before I started taking part in junior competitions, like the Leon Paul series and the British Youth Championships. I went on to compete in a lot of tournaments all over Europe.

"I was having more and more commitments and, to be honest, it was difficult for me to give up playing football as I really loved it but fencing started to take priority.”

Fitzgerald concedes that it was a wrench to leave Scotland at the age of 17 to go onto the full-time programme in London, but realised there was little choice if he wanted to reach his potential.

 “There was not the level of competition for me in Scotland and I had to leave. It was difficult initially leaving my family and friends but there is a Scottish contingent in the squad and we all get along well together.

"Richard Kruse, Ed Jefferies and Keith Cook are also down here and we support each other. There are a lot of good Scottish fencers around just now and I'm not really sure why that is.

"But Scotland has always seemed to do well in the sport if you go back to the likes of Donnie McKenzie. Maybe it's in our blood and goes back to the days of Braveheart!

"More likely it is because coaching in Scotland is very good at the basic level. If you get the basics right, then it provides a solid platform.

"My club coach Ken Rose was a big influence on me and the West Fife club has produced a lot of good fencers over the years. He still keeps in close contact and keeps a keen interest in how I'm progressing."

Fitzgerald admits his recent success in Aix-en-Provence was something of a breakthrough for him but argues that it was not unexpected.

“The week before, I was eighth in the European Junior Championships in Denmark and that gave me a bit of confidence going into it," he continued.

"I always knew I could do it but you can never really be too confident about these things as a lot depends on what happens on the day.

"You have to be confident without being over-confident and just hope it all falls for you on the day.  But I’m now looking forward to next year.

"I'm managing to get two weeks off at Christmas so it'll give me a chance to come back to Scotland and see my family and friends but you're never completely switched off and have to keep yourself ticking over fitness wise."

RM
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