Stress is a peculiar feeling. On one hand, it makes you feel overwhelmed and as if you’re not good enough to overcome even your own tiny problems. On the other hand, stress (good stress that is) can make us better people and can motivate us to do things we wouldn’t have done if we weren’t stressed. 

Lots of things in life are stressful – things like overdue homework assignments, big tests, first job interviews, first days at new places, meeting new people, and so on. In my opinion, one of the most stressful things I have gone through is a fencing competition. No matter how many competitions I go to, I keep thinking that the stress will just somehow disappear, only to find myself just a few hours before the competition nervously shaking my legs and chattering my teeth. 

There are a few reasons why fencing competitions are stressful. First, the people are extremely nimble. Most of the competitors have been practicing and competing ever since they learned how to walk. They move like swans over rivers, like birds over the air, like gazelles over prairies. It’s incredibly fascinating to watch – when you’re not the one competing against them. The second reason why fencing competitions are stressful is because of the environment. More often than not, you’ll hear competitors’ parents and coaches shouting in their ear, telling them what to do and what not to do. Even if it’s not your own parent, you suddenly feel the urge of having to prove that you’re worthy enough to even be competing against their child or fencer. The venues are often large and jam-packed, which creates an environment of hustling and bustling, which can make it hard to focus on what you came there for. Finally, the major reason these competitions are stressful is because of the return. Even if you’re not pressured to win by family or coaches, seeing that there is a 1st place, 2nd place, or a 3rd place, can really mess with your head. You suddenly have an urge to just have to win the prize because it is there, because it can be won. It’s an interesting feeling that you don’t think of at the moment, but after the competition you sit back and think about why your mindset was the way it was. 

There’s always room for improvement, no matter what level you’re at, and stress is something that can bring out the best in us. However, over the last few years, I’ve started to learn that there is a difference between good stress and bad stress. Good stress helps us change for the better. Bad stress makes us feel as if we’re not good enough and we have to pressure ourselves into doing something to prove our worth, not to ourselves, but to others whom we will probably never see again. I’d be lying if I was saying that my fencing competition experience has been a fairy-tale experience where I’ve only experienced good stress. Only experiencing good stress isn’t possible. Stress comes with a good side and a bad side, and it’s up to you which one you embrace. I’ve learned, by going to a number of these competitions, that the strategy that results in the best outcome is going to the competition, blocking out what others think of you, and just do what you came there to do, fencing.