Chin-yi Kong’s fencing career reaches new heights

Aragon senior Chin-yi Kong is one of the few athletes who can say she wields swords on a regular basis. As a fencer, she credits her dad for getting her into the unique sport. 

“My dad fenced for the Johns Hopkins [University] team when he was an undergrad there,” Kong said. “He [asked] ‘why not try fencing?’ So here I am.”

Aside from her dad’s initial influence, what kept her interested in the sport was the exhilarating aspects of competition and her peers’ support. 

“[I enjoy] the feeling of when you’re in the zone, and you can feel all the hard work is paying off,” Kong said. “You just know what to do before you even have to think about it. I [also] built an amazing community of people to support me with the coaches and my friends.” 

Her sister, sophomore Chin-ray Kong, is one of those supporters.

“We’re pretty close,” Chin-ray Kong said. “She’s [been] taking care of me since I was younger. She would make me meals if my mom wasn’t available, take me out to get something to eat a lot of the time, play video games or watch TV together, so she is very responsible.”

“[I enjoy] the feeling of when you’re in the zone, and you can feel all the hard work is paying off”

Chin-yi Kong’s proudest achievement, competing at the 2022 Junior World Fencing Championships in Dubai, was a product of years of honing her skills at practice.

“I [practice] Tuesdays through Saturdays, and then I sometimes go Mondays,” Chin-yi Kong said. “[Practice on] Saturdays are usually about three, four hours and Tuesdays and Fridays are two to three [hours.]”

Chin-ray Kong commends her sister on her  independence and commitment to fencing.

“She always drives all the way down to San Francisco by herself,” Chin-ray Kong said. “She’s very diligent.”

In a typical practice, Chin-yi Kong works on sharpening her skills for competition.

“I’ll have a private lesson working one on one with my coach beforehand, which is about 40 minutes,” Chin-yi Kong said. “For group classes we do running and then we do some physical exercises, sometimes stations and then we suit up and fence.”

Fencing requires a multitude of different skills, including technical maneuvers as well as timing and distance. In addition to utilizing those, Kong uses her own strengths to gain a leg up in competitions.

“I think when I’m in the zone, I have a really good feel of when it’s my right of way,” Chin-yi Kong said. “I have pretty good defense, which is something I’m proud of.”

“It’s really just reminding myself I’m doing this because I love it”

However, the work is not all physical. Kong is constantly working on improving her mental resilience.

“When you reach any point actually, it’s just overwhelming,” Kong said. “[I think] ‘I can’t do this’ or I think ‘I have to win.’”

In these moments, she tries to focus on not dwelling on the mistake, having a learning mindset and moving forward.

“It’s really just reminding myself I’m doing this because I love it and  I don’t have to reach some goal,” Chin-yi Kong said. “I like to learn versus just beating myself up for what I did wrong. It just feels more fulfilling.”

Chin-ray Kong also notices the time and effort her sister puts into the mental aspect.

“She definitely just became more independent [and] responsible as she went,” she said. “[Chin-yi] started caring more about her mental state for fencing competitions, since fencing has been very stressful for her.”

With such a packed schedule, Chin-yi Kong has had to learn to use her time wisely.

“I really, really try not to procrastinate,” Chin-yi Kong said. “If I have time in class, I’ll try to get some other work done or  if I’m flying somewhere over the weekend for a tournament, I’ll do it on the plane but it’s just really about using the time that I have to get things done.”

Chin-yi Kong’s fencing success inspires the people around her.

“I’m really proud that she’s done so well,” said Chin-ray Kong. “She inspires me to try harder to do the same thing.”

Chin-yi Kong plans on continuing to fence at the collegiate level, and hopes to pursue any opportunities that may arise after.