He's now ranked the number one junior fencer in Australia and has 17 international medals to his name, but when Joe Slowiaczek first stepped into the international fencing arena he was told he would not win a single bout.
Far from being a pushover, the 17-year-old has proven his worth by placing third in Madrid in the under-20s category at the Commonwealth Championship World Cup.
"I went into Madrid hoping just to make the top 32, but I did much better. I placed third, I just couldn't believe it," said Slowiaczek.
"When I first went overseas they were telling me to not be disappointed and to not even expect to win one bout."
Slowiaczek is rapidly becoming a fixture on the international fencing circuit. He is set to compete in a junior fencing competition in India on January 20 and has accepted an offer to train with China's prestigious Shanghai fencing club. He has his eye on the Senior World Cup in late 2006 and hopefully gaining one of the coveted places on Australia's Olympic fencing team.
[Full story: SHN, Friday, December 23, 2005]
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