Four members of Edinburgh’s Dunedin Fencing Club recently paid a visit to Valencia as part of an international exchange with Valencian club La Robera Sala d’Armes.
Both clubs focus strongly on equality, inclusion and the extension of the sport to groups who might not otherwise get to experience fencing. The exchange came about through a meeting, at the Wheelchair Fencing World Cup held in Cardiff in January 2024, between Laura Perez Aguado (head coach of La Robera) and Alex McLeod (head coach of Dunedin).
Between 13 and 18 June, the group took part in the regular classes staged by La Robera, participating in open fencing, as well as coaching sessions with some of the junior and senior fencers from the club. There was also a strong focus on parafencing with para athletes fully integrated into both open fencing and coaching sessions. On Saturday 15 June, the Dunedin fencers also took part in a local competition, staged as part of Pride Month, with Alex McLeod coming second in the seniors section.
It is hoped that the La Robera fencers will visit Edinburgh in early 2025. The Dunedin fencers wish to extend their sincere thanks to all of those who made this trip possible.
