Caiti Maxwell; Fencing
I'm Caiti Maxwell, a first year History BA student and fencer. I started fencing aged 8 when I tried it at an after school club in primary school. I liked that it was different and I guess I just stuck with it. At the time I didn’t realise how much of a commitment it would end up being!
Managing training with academics and the social life of uni has been a bit hectic at times. Obviously having a plan and staying ahead of deadlines can be really helpful to make sure I don’t miss out on anything. Having come from training full time on my gap year, my concentration isn’t as good as it was before - but being flexible is key so that I feel positive about what I got done during the day.
During the week I have about 8 to 9 hours of lecture contact time per week, which is really good because I don’t have to compromise on my training times. In general my lectures and seminars are in the morning and after these I fit in my studies around training. In a standard week, I have 4 fencing specific training session per week which each last 2 hours and usually take place in the evenings. In addition to this, I do about 4 strength and conditioning sessions, as well as having 2 one-to-one fencing sessions with my coach. Overall I do about 14 hours training per week.
I’ve recently reached the top ten ranked U20 fencers in the world: I’m currently 8th. Over the last year I’ve placed 2nd in Budapest and Plovdiv U20 World Cups, 3rd in the U20 European Championships and have won the U20 and Senior National Championships. I aim to finish the season in the top 10 ranked in the world for U20, and to win a medal in the Junior World Championships. Long term, I aim to go the Olympics and to be a top level athlete on the Senior World Circuit. I also hope to compete for UCL in the World University Games in 2019.
The support offered to me by the Elite Athlete Program has been invaluable since I’ve come to UCL.
Seeing a physio weekly has helped me to recover from an ankle injury at a key point in my competitive season. The Strength and Conditioning program overseen by Tiahan has also been great and has been really helpful in improving and maintaining my fitness throughout the season. I’ve loved being part of sport at UCL and I’m excited to continue competing as a part of the team for the next few years.
