After four years of training and serving on the MU Fencing Club cabinet, senior and Vice President Katie Koziatek is preparing to graduate, having left a lasting impact on the program.
A product of Buccaneer Blades Fencing, a program based in Wentzville, Missouri, Koziatek began her fencing journey in her first year of high school. Her progress continued through her junior year when the COVID-19 pandemic halted her training. Following a break from fencing, she picked the sport back up at the University of Missouri, where she was eventually elected to the MU Fencing Club cabinet.
“There [weren’t] any really awesome social events or anything that we would do, so I was like, oh, I really want to change that,” Koziatek said. “I want to make this a really good club because it’s a sport I care about.”
With Club President Christina Bertenshaw’s backing, Koziatek found support in her efforts to build a stronger community within the organization. The pair collaborated to create a more inclusive atmosphere for new and returning members.
“She’s not afraid to step up and take responsibility for something that wasn’t hers to begin with, because it needs to be done,” Bertenshaw said. “[She is] the best right-hand woman anyone could ask for.”
Many fencers enter the sport with varying levels of experience, and can take time to adjust to the demands of competition. In recent years, Koziatek has shown greater participation during practices and competitions, reflecting steady development within the program.
“She was one of the few fencers who had experience coming in, and she was a solid fencer, but she’s grown, both in terms of her fencing ability and also just competitiveness,” coach Emma Buckingham said. “I think starting out, she was more reluctant to go to tournaments, especially against competitive [United States Fencing Association] tournaments where you have a lot of really good fencers, but I’ve seen her in the past couple of years, she’s gotten so enthusiastic about not just practicing [with] the club, but also just being involved in fencing outside the club.”
Beyond the substantial improvements in her fencing technique and strategy, Koziatek’s involvement in the club has played a crucial role in her personal development. Through her leadership roles, she has gained valuable social and organizational skills that extend well beyond the fencing floor.
“She’s just so friendly and outgoing, and she’s beloved in epee, which is her weapon, but she also is friends with everybody in every weapon,” Dylan Moulder, the club’s fundraising chair said. “She’s really one of those people that helps to kind of bring that community to this club.”
Fencing presents both physical and mental challenges, requiring athletes to balance multiple techniques and strategies that require emotional resilience. Koziatek acknowledged the difficulties of managing setbacks during competition, but she has worked to develop strategies to stay focused and improve her performance.
“I’ve learned how to work with a lot of different people,” Koziatek said. “I’ve learned how to organize things and help keep the club running, but also, as a fencer, I’ve learned how to hone my skills and also how to manage my emotions when I lose. That’s really hard as a fencer, when you’re consistently losing to people, and you can get really in your head, and then it just ruins your whole day.”
Koziatek’s journey in fencing evolved due to a shift in mindset. Initially, her perfectionism made it difficult to accept the learning curve involved in mastering the sport. Over time, she came to understand the importance of patience and skill development in fencing.
“As a kid, I was such a perfectionist, and learning fencing [means] you’re not going to be good at it the first time that you do it, or you could have beginner’s luck,” Koziatek said. “But really, you have to learn how to hone your skill. You have to learn how to fence the weapon that you’re specializing in.”
Now, Koziatek is preparing to graduate, closing a chapter defined by four years of competition, leadership and growth with the MU Fencing Club.
Edited by Killian Wright | [email protected]
Copy edited by Avery Copeland and Natalie Kientzy | [email protected]
Edited by Alex Gribb | [email protected]
