VIVIEN Frith, a 76-year-old grandmother who fences for Shakespeare’s Swords in Stratford, won gold at the European Veterans Fencing Championships in Thionville, France.
Frith is now the over 70’s Sabre European champion and also claimed the European Veteran Fencer of the Year gong in the same category for the third consecutive year.
The retired account manager, who lives near Rugby, is no stranger to winning international medals, having won gold at every European Veterans Fencing Championships since 2017.
Frith said: “I am so happy to have come away having successfully defended my title again and to get Fencer of the Year again was just the icing on the cake.
“It definitely gets tougher each year with amazing fencers from across Europe, many of them who have fenced most of their lives at very high levels coming into this category.
“Training with the incredible team at Shakespeare Swords, with fencers of all ages from primary school up, keeps me at the top of my game.”
Frith only took up the sport 17 years ago, being a mother to four and grandmother to eight.
In the last few months she has won gold at the Guildford Veterans International, gold at the Home Nations Veterans Championships and gold at the British Veterans Championships.
She has now qualified for the World Veterans Fencing Championships in America later this year.
Frith added: “I had always wanted to fence but did not have the time until my children had grown up but once I started I could not stop and have been part of the GBR squad since 2009.
“It really is an amazing sport that not only keeps me fit but affords me the opportunity to travel the world and meet some incredible people.”
Head coach at Shakespeare Swords, Chris Buxton, said: “We pride ourselves in producing some of the best fencers in the UK who go on to represent their country at the highest level of the sport.
“Viv is not only one of our biggest success stories, but proof that it is never too late to take up sport and even excel.”
