A Woman Of Inspiration

This post should really be En garde! part deux since it is about another Olympic fencer. I think, though, that her story can be inspiring to all women.

Her name is Jujie Luan. She is a foil fencer, immigrant to Canada, and member of our 2008 Olympic team. She is also a mother of three and fifty years old!

Luan was born in Nanjing, Jiangsu province China (probably another reason that endears her to me since this is very close to our youngest daughter's birthplace). As a young girl Luan excelled at high jumping. Since the area was rich with promising track athletes she turned to the sport of badminton. However, at the age of sixteen an official decided that she should be trained in fencing and against her wishes Luan was removed from the school's badminton team and compelled to begin instruction in foil. Initially she resisted participating in her new sport, but the realization that this could be her opportunity to travel to Beijing and possibly beyond became her inspiration.

In just four years this young athlete would reach the status of icon in China. It happened in 1977 at the junior world championships. In Luan's first bout, her Russian opponent's blade snapped and punctured her left arm, her fencing arm. The match was halted while Luan received medical attention. The metal was removed from just below her bicep, she was bandaged and the tenacious 20 year old returned to the piste. Despite ongoing bleeding deep in her arm Luan persevered through the competition and climbed the podium to receive the silver medal. Her bravery was heralded in China in books and a film retelling her life story.

Jujie Luan went on to become the first Chinese athlete ever to win an Olympic fencing medal when she brought home the gold from Los Angeles in 1984. According to one article, she was so driven to win that she told her love, a man named David, that her motivation would be their future. They could not be married if she did not win the Olympics.

Luan retired from competition in 1988 after the Seoul Olympics. She and David were married and they immigrated to Canada in 1989. Since that time she has coached fencing in Edmonton.

Luan came out of retirement as the Sydney Olympics approached. In less than a year, at the age of 42 she trained herself and attained the qualification standard. Because she had not competed in many world cup events leading up to Sydney Luan entered the Olympics with a low international ranking. As a result she met a highly seeded competitor in the first round and ended with a 35th place finish.

Luan returned to Edmonton and continued with her coaching career. However, once again as the Olympics loom on the horizon, she has decided to return to the piste. This time the venue is her home country, China. At 50 years of age this self-coached athlete has met the International Fencing Federation's stringent qualifying standard. The once reluctant fencer, turned young hero will be returning to her homeland. She is now a mature woman representing a new country, but I believe that the people of China will still cheer just as loudly for their beloved Juijie Luan.