When I was twelve, I managed to convince my mom to sign me up for fencing lessons.

I’d been going to the lessons for about a month before the first friendly tournament (held only for students in the one school) was scheduled. Because there weren’t any kids to pair me with for my age division, I was bumped up to the adult bracket, where people had been fencing for upwards of thirty years.

I managed to take second place. My style was so undeveloped and erratic and I had so little regard for my defense that I took the older and more experienced fencers completely off-guard.

I got the gold medal for the kids’ age division by default, but that silver medal is the one I’m most proud of.