When my boyfriend was twenty years old, I watched him win the qualifying tournament for the college NCAA championships. For the past year – our first as a couple – I had watched him elevate his fencing game again and again. But this? Was the first time I saw him win a major competition. And he was not the only one winning. I watched teammates rack up unexpected wins that led to a blaze of blue atop the dais.
Today, my alma mater will be heading back to the qualifiers as they look to defend their title as NCAA champions. My husband and I will be watching live as the results come in. I wish the Columbia fencing team and all the competitors joy on the Northeast Regionals battlefield today.
When people ask me what my husband and I do to keep the romance alive, I tell them that we hit each other with swords. Fencing is the glue that binds my family together. Each Saturday, my husband brings one, two or five family members to practice at our local club. On weekdays, he heads into Manhattan to attend evening practice at one of the numerous elite clubs there. Every few weeks, he attends competitions in driving distance of our home.
Now that we own two cars, the possibilities have expanded. One of us can attend a fencing event that begins at dawn, while the other one arrives later with our three young children. This is a setup that my husband and I have talked and dreamed about for years. To be able to compete and involve our family is a gift. And I am grateful for it every day.
Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.
