Fencing is one of the longest-standing Olympic sports, and yet it wasn’t until 2016 that a Canadian made the quarterfinals.
On Monday, Team Canada could proudly say it has broken the barrier to the podium: 29-year-old Eleanor Harvey made history at the Paris Olympic Games on Day 2, besting Italy’s Alice Volpi in the women’s foil individual bronze medal bout.
Harvey trains out of Epic Fencing Club in Calgary, which is host to numerous talented fencers who have made Calgary home. Her best friend and Tokyo 2020 Olympic teammate Alanna Goldie stayed up all night to watch Harvey make history.
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“We’ve travelled the world together,” said Goldie. “We are each other’s biggest support systems. It’s hard to believe it’s actually happened.”
Fellow coach and former Olympic teammate Kelleigh Ryan also works at Epic Fencing. She made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 where she placed eighth, which — at that time — was Canada’s second-best Olympic result ever in an individual event.
“She’s the first person on the strip, and the last person out,” said Ryan of Harvey’s work ethic. “This will help put Canada on the map.”
Friends and teammates of Harvey call her “fun,” “quirky” and “incredibly serious when it comes to fencing”.
Training partner Carlos Padua watched from Puerto Rico, and says it felt like they were all winning bronze with Harvey, after having spent so much time training together.
“She’s the person out there running in -30 degrees Celsius,” Padua laughs. “There is nobody more deserving of this win.”