For New Hope’s Jim Flint, fencing isn’t just a sport.
It’s a lifelong passion.
Flint, representing the Bucks County Academy of Fencing, recently competed at the USA Fencing National Championships, held at the Philadelphia Convention Center. He tied for third in veteran men’s 70 epee.
Three of his teammates also reached the podium at the competition.
In the veteran men’s 40 foil, Jesse Lamberth of Langhorne captured the silver medal while Mark Turdo of Lansdale finished seventh, and in the veteran men’s 60 foil, Paul Epply-Schmidt of Princeton, N.J., tied for third.
“I have never lost my taste for competing,” Flint said. “I like fencing against people; I like the challenge and the older I get, the more challenging it becomes. I always like to medal. It always feels good.”
Final team selection for the world championships will conclude with the veteran national championships at the end of August in Atlanta. The final team selection will be based on the July results and the event in Atlanta.
“If I can get a good result in Atlanta then I could get a position on the world team,” he said.
Flint and Epply-Schmidt plan on competing in Atlanta.
“It would be nice if we both made it,” Flint said. “It’s always good to have a teammate with you.”
Should Flint make the team, it will be his third time representing the U.S., as he was also selected in 1992 and 1996. He finished second in all three weapons – epee, foil and saber – in 1996. He was also the 2003 veteran 50’s national champion in epee.
“Winning is always fun, competing is always fun,” he said. “I like to say that in this sport, you get to hit people in a competition setting and people applaud and nobody’s really getting hurt. Fencing is the martial art with the fewest injuries. We take safety very seriously.”
In addition to competing, he is a fencing master at Bucks County Academy of Fencing.
“I enjoy teaching,” he said. “It really is a wonderful sport.”
He’s been fencing for over 50 years, beginning in 1969.
“I was originally planning to be an actor,” he said. “I loved Shakespeare so I figured I’d better learn how to use a sword. One of the people in the class talked us into going to a competition and that was wonderful.”
After acting for five years, he changed careers, most recently working in database management for Princeton University.
Flint was the women’s head coach and assistant men’s coach at Princeton from 1980-83.
He has seen a lot of growth in the sport.
“When I started the national organization had 11,000 members and we’re now somewhere north of 150,000 so it’s grown enormously,” he said. “I think a lot of the credit goes to Mariel Zagunis. She’s the first American fencer to win women’s Olympic gold in sabre and she’s medaled every time at the Olympics.
“The Olympics are one of the few things that’s gotten us attention. We had an influx of girls after Zagunis won so as we’ve gotten recognized and noticed, we’ve grown, and hopefully that will continue.”
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