An Olympic Dream

Jessica C.

Lena in a match. She is on the right.

          Every girl has a dream. Some girls dream to be doctors. Some dream to be singers. But for Lena Johnson, her dream is to be an Olympic athlete. This dream is now becoming a reality as Lena prepares to tryout for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

          Lena started fencing when she was eight years old. She grew more serious with it in middle school and within one year of fencing, she had become the U.S.A. national champion for her age division.

         Fencing is a sport where two opponents use swords to fight against each other to earn points to win.

         Not only is she able to stay in shape with her fencing (she simultaneously plays soccer), but she has the opportunity to travel the world for competitions. She has been to Poland, Germany, France, Italy, and Hungary with her fencing.

         The idea of being able to compete in the Olympics came when many of her friends went to London on the U.S.A. fencing team. Lena knows that making the team won’t be easy, but she’s willing to work hard. She’s spoken to Daryl Homer, 2012 fencing Olympic athlete, about her chances, who has reported that her chances of making the U.S. Olympic team are extremely good. She keeps a picture of Daryl Homer on her binder as well as pictures of the Olympic rings. This is a meaningful symbol to Lena, who states, “Every time I drive past the Olympic rings that hang next to the Braves Stadium in Atlanta from the 1996 Olympic Games, I think to myself "One day that will be me." I just want to show that it's possible.”