090618 SWB DIGITAL EDITION

6 x September 6 — 19, 2018 x www.SouthwestOrlandoBulletin.com
SPORTS
SPOTLIGHT
Parry On!
Ocoee High School Student Dreams of the Olympics
by Karen Nimetz
Shop Local September Sidewalk Sale
in Historic Downtown Winter Garden
Thursday, September 27 – Saturday, September 29, 2018
11 am – 5 pm
When 15-year-old Maia
Slowinski was just 8 years
old, she attended a festival
in Winter Garden with
her father, Jay Slowinski.
While there, they came
upon a booth for the Winter
Garden Fencing Academy,
where academy representatives
were handing out vouchers
for a trial lesson. Maia,
who had played soccer up to
that point, was intrigued and
decided to give fencing a try.
She was instantly hooked.
Though the art of fencing
dates back to the 12th century,
the sport of fencing began
in the late 1800s. Today,
fencing is a challenging sport
that requires an agile body
and mind. Maia fell in love
with the sport almost immediately
and was not deterred by
the physical and mental challenges
it presented or by the losses
she faced.
“It was almost a full two years before
Maia began winning any fencing
tournaments,” said Suzi Katz,
Maia’s mother. “During that time, she
was never down on herself. Maia has
always demonstrated great sportsmanship,
and over time, her love of
fencing grew stronger. The losses
only made her more driven to win.”
Fifteen-year-old Maia Slowinski of Southwest
earns a national championship at the 2018 U.S.
Fencing Nationals.
Maia’s determination has certainly
paid off. She has been very successful
in all of the events she has
participated in throughout the past
several years. Most recently, Maia
competed in the 2018 USA Fencing
National Championships in St. Louis,
where she earned a national championship
in the women’s Division III
foil event and earned an impressive
“C” rating.
3 days of great savings and fabulous deals!
Live Music! Convenient free parking!
Shop along the brick-lined streets of scenic Historic Downtown!
Details at www.cwgdn.com