Newly-capped SA fencer Ruqaya Ismail says she's had to overcome self-doubt to earn her place on the national team selected for next month's Commonwealth championships, in Lagos, Nigeria.
Ruqaya Ismail's journey from a school outreach programme to representing South Africa at the Commonwealth Fencing Championships showcases her determination and the support of her family and coaches in overcoming self-doubt.
The spoken first-year psychology student whose 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. one of
Considered one of Cape Town's sharpest blades, the young 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.
