Under the mask of Azul Rivera: a young fencer’s leap of faith
![Rivera bursts into laughter as her spar mate cracks a joke after they cross swords. “On the piste, they’re the worst enemies that you can have,” Rivera said. “But outside, they’re the best.” (Leanne Yoon)]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1734410753/dissckr/i4uytximog5ubyulmlej/20241203AzulFencing2.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1734410753/dissckr/i4uytximog5ubyulmlej/20241203AzulFencing2.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1734410753/dissckr/i4uytximog5ubyulmlej/20241203AzulFencing2.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1734410753/dissckr/i4uytximog5ubyulmlej/20241203AzulFencing2.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1734410753/dissckr/i4uytximog5ubyulmlej/20241203AzulFencing2.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1734410753/dissckr/i4uytximog5ubyulmlej/20241203AzulFencing2.jpg","width":2001}])
Under the mask of Azul Rivera: a young fencer’s leap of faith
Leanne Yoon
Beads of sweat roll down freshman Azul Rivera’s forehead as she lunges forward, sword in her hand, ready to attack. Her aching limbs scream to stop, but she pushes through until she sees the green light flash on the scoreboard, a point to her name. When she lifts her mask to cross swords with her partner, her eyes sparkle with joy that she has triumphed over yesterday’s self. Even gruff Coach Lee, famous in the fencing club for his tough love, can’t help but flash a smile at the young athlete’s passion that brought her halfway around the world from Vancouver, Canada, to Ulsan, South Korea.