Fencing foils a booster for the over 80s

The fine old art of fencing with foils has been keeping residents at the Catholic Homes Corpus Christi in Clayton, Melbourne, on their toes and enthusiastic about the sport.

With instruction from 73-year-old Joseph D’Onofrio, the residents aged from 80 to 93 have been enjoying both the mental and physical sides of swordplay. “Their enthusiasm is very very humbling because some of my young students are nowhere as enthusiastic,” Mr D’Onofrio said.

“Almost every one of them now finds enjoyment in the fact they can stand up in the exercises and actually fence. They are getting self-confidence and they can actually stand up and do the fencing movements, whereas in the past they didn’t even try to get off their chair,” he said.

Sister Delores Kirby, 93, said that fencing kept her active. “It builds your confidence to be able to stand and defend yourself,” she said.