Cape Town fencer Ruqaya Ismail all kitted up and ready for a training session at Gardens-based Blues Fencing Club.
First-year psychology student Ruqaya Ismail's lightning-fast reflexes have earned her a place in South Africa's team for next month’s Commonwealth Fencing Championships, in Lagos, Nigeria.
When she steps onto the piste — the official strip, or metallic mat, where competitors face off — self-doubt gives way to split-second decisions, a game of mental chess, as she puts it.
Considered one of Cape Town's sharpest blades, the fencer first picked up a sword after members of the Gardens-based Blues Fencing Club visited her school a few years ago as part of the club's outreach programme.
Ruqaya Ismail and her club mates go through their paces during a training session at Gardens-based Blues Fencing.
