Eagle Scout Project
Wheelchair fencing, or Parafencing, is a Paralympic adaptation of the sport of fencing. It is designed so that fencers with disabilities that affect their legs or mobility can still participate in fencing.
In the sport of fencing, the athletes aim to score touches on their opponent with their blade in order to receive a certain number of points needed to win the bout. Fencers wear protective equipment to prevent injury and use specialized scoring equipment. Fencing consists of 3 different weapons: Epee, Foil, and Saber. The three different weapons have slightly different rules on scoring and use slightly different equipment.
The main difference between Olympic Fencing and Paralympic Fencing is the area of play. In Olympic fencing, the fencers advance and retreat along a 14-meter-long strip. In Wheelchair fencing, however, the fencers sit in wheelchairs that are locked down at a fixed distance from each other. The Wheelchairs are locked down using a specialized wheelchair fencing platform.
Wheelchair Fencing is less popular than Olympic fencing, and therefore wheelchair fencing platforms are less common. These pieces of equipment are large, heavy, complicated, and expensive. The complications of obtaining Wheelchair Fencing platforms are major deterrents to clubs and individuals looking to participate in the sport.
In my Eagle project, I designed and built Wheelchair Fencing Platforms and donated them to a nonprofit organization looking to contribute to new Parafencing programs in Central Florida. The equipment required to conduct Wheelchair Fencing activities is very cost prohibitive for local fencing clubs and prevents many from entering the sport. The designs I created for the fencing platforms allow them to be produced at much lower costs and allow them to be more portable than commercially available platforms.
My project has a significant impact on my local community by allowing more disabled individuals to participate in an exciting, challenging sport. Florida has a small Parafencing community, and I hope that the sport will grow through the contribution of this project. Kids who have disabilities will be able to participate in the sport of Parafencing.
In the sport of fencing, the athletes aim to score touches on their opponent with their blade in order to receive a certain number of points needed to win the bout. Fencers wear protective equipment to prevent injury and use specialized scoring equipment. Fencing consists of 3 different weapons: Epee, Foil, and Saber. The three different weapons have slightly different rules on scoring and use slightly different equipment.
The main difference between Olympic Fencing and Paralympic Fencing is the area of play. In Olympic fencing, the fencers advance and retreat along a 14-meter-long strip. In Wheelchair fencing, however, the fencers sit in wheelchairs that are locked down at a fixed distance from each other. The Wheelchairs are locked down using a specialized wheelchair fencing platform.
Wheelchair Fencing is less popular than Olympic fencing, and therefore wheelchair fencing platforms are less common. These pieces of equipment are large, heavy, complicated, and expensive. The complications of obtaining Wheelchair Fencing platforms are major deterrents to clubs and individuals looking to participate in the sport.
In my Eagle project, I designed and built Wheelchair Fencing Platforms and donated them to a nonprofit organization looking to contribute to new Parafencing programs in Central Florida. The equipment required to conduct Wheelchair Fencing activities is very cost prohibitive for local fencing clubs and prevents many from entering the sport. The designs I created for the fencing platforms allow them to be produced at much lower costs and allow them to be more portable than commercially available platforms.
My project has a significant impact on my local community by allowing more disabled individuals to participate in an exciting, challenging sport. Florida has a small Parafencing community, and I hope that the sport will grow through the contribution of this project. Kids who have disabilities will be able to participate in the sport of Parafencing.