The Face of Fencing

Sophomore Grace Lozier embraces fencing as a transformative discipline, supported by her unwavering determination and familial encouragement.

Written by Anna Maria Della Costa

Grace Lozier is 5-foot-5 and fearless. She almost has to be. On a weekly basis, she’s facing adversity in the form of competitors who are coming toward her with a nearly 3-foot epee (bladed weapon.).

“I wouldn’t be who I am today without fencing,” says Grace, a sophomore at Providence Day. “Fencing has given me discipline and has taught me how to really work for something that I want. It takes years of hours of practice and consistency.

Grace found the sport as a third-grade student at Providence Day, where extended-day enrichment camps offered students a chance to try nontraditional sports. She’s been pursuing the sport seriously since and competed against the best in the country in the 2024 Junior Olympics in February at the Charlotte Convention Center.

“I was always drawn to fencing after the class at Providence Day because it felt natural,” she says. “I love fencing because it’s a really cool experience, and it’s always exciting and different every bout,” she says. “It has connected me with so many new people from all over the world, and it has really changed me as a person.”

She won four of her six pool bouts in the Junior Olympics and ended up coming in 143 out of 270 participants. She has three more tournaments in Virginia, Alabama, and Florida in April and then the national fencing championships in July.

“Junior Olympics was seriously one of my favorite things I’ve experienced,” Grace says. “I had tons of friends and family show up to support me, which meant the world to me. I fenced some of the best bouts of my life and had some really crazy moments that I’m still thinking about today. It’s definitely an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”

Amanda, her mom, says they immediately began noticing the benefits when Grace started fencing and competing.

“She has worked very hard over the past two years, traveling year-round, across the country, to compete for USA fencing,” Amanda says. “She has spent the past two summers training in [Washington, D.C.] and in Boston with the Harvard coaches. She has learned so much about how to deal with adversity and is developing self-confidence. Fencing requires tremendous self-discipline and fearlessness.”

Her daughter, Amanda says, often faces opponents who are much older and more experienced. She’s also started competing against athletes from top colleges in the country.

“She is learning how to deal with the pressure of performing at the national level and dreams of maybe one day competing internationally for Team USA,” Amanda says. “Ultimately, she hopes to fence in college.”

Her fencing schedule has been the most significant adjustment: she practices five times a week, along with two to three private lessons with her coach on the side. She doesn’t typically get home from practice until 9 p.m.; then, she has to do homework.

“It can definitely be difficult, but it’s worth it to me because I love the sport,” Grace says. “On the weekends, I practice in the morning, and on my days off, I try to stay active by going to the gym to train.”

Most of her tournaments are out of state, which means 5 a.m. wakeup calls and spans of several 12-hour days. She competed in the national championships in Phoenix last summer, and she’s qualified to compete in championships this summer in Columbus, Ohio.

She found out she qualified for the Junior Olympics, a goal she’s been working toward, in late October.

“Watching her compete at Junior Olympics was one of our proudest moments as parents,” Amanda says. “It was amazing to see the culmination of years of training and sacrifice result in an opportunity to compete with the best in the country.”

The only pre-match ritual she needs is a pep talk from her coaches at Triple Threat Fencing Academy in Monroe because it helps her “get in the zone.” Her coach, Maestro Oleksii Ivanov, is Ukraine's national fencing coach and an international referee. He has more than 55 years of experience as a fencing coach, 20 of which have been in the U.S.

“Regarding Grace, I can confidently note her hard work and sociability in communicating with club members and coaches during the training process and at competitions, as well,” he says. “I am very pleased to watch her progress. She is a real sportsman in the full sense of the word.”