Wimbledon based mum of two Georgina Usher will find out this June if she qualifies for the Olympic fencing team. Georgina, aged 39 is the nine time British Senior Champion, as well as the winner of four Commonwealth Medals in Fencing. She is a great ambassador for the sport and has competed for over 20 years. She also appeared in the James Bond film ‘Die Another Day’ epic fencing scene.
WLM recently met Georgina:
How do you start your day?
Being woken up around 6.30 am by my 2 yr old shouting from upstairs ‘Mummy, Mummy, Wake, Up’
What’s a typical breakfast when you’re training?
Something with protein e.g. ham on rye bread, orange juice and a large coffee. Could absolutely not have made it to training after some of the sleepless nights without the coffee!
How long did you ‘take-off’ from your sport when you became a mum?
I had a few issues starting a family so I spent 4 years before having my daughter, doing very little and only when my son was born in 2010 did I return properly to training—so about 6 years in total.
How do you balance being a mum with your training schedule?
Hmm, I’m not sure balancing is the right word. It’s similar to when you are a working mum, you feel guilty when you devote a lot of time to anything other than your children! However, both children have come with me training on and off over the last 2 years (my son can now get out his travel cot now so that’s a bit more of an issue!). I have an exercise bike at home which got a massive amount of use whilst I was losing my baby weight, and I have a regular evening babysitter which allows me to train in the evenings. I am lucky enough to have a brilliant mother-in-law who has been fantastic looking after the kids when I have had to travel abroad to train or compete.
Has becoming a mum changed the way you approach your sport?
Definitely – I find I enjoy my fencing so much more. For two reasons: it’s no longer the most important thing in my life, and also I absolutely love having a bit of time to myself where I am forced not to think about my children!
How has being an Olympian influenced you as a mother?
It’s difficult to sum up all the different ways that fencing has influenced my life—through the amazing teams I’ve been part of, the inspirational people I’ve met and the countries I’ve been lucky enough to visit. Whilst the positive factors are fairly obvious, the tough times too have given me greater mental resilience which has certainly come in useful whether in the workplace or at home with the kids!
What’s your proudest moment as an athlete?
The medals I’ve won as part of the Scottish Commonwealth Fencing Team have all made me super proud, and I’m also pretty happy about this season making GB number 2 and top 75 in the world—it’s nothing like where I used to be (No 1 and World top 15) but it’s been a much harder thing to achieve from being completely unranked 18 months ago.
Do you have any good luck charms or rituals before a match?
None whatsoever—although I do like to check my weapons are working!
Besides your own sport, what are your other favourites? Who will you be watching?
I love following Pentathlon (as one of the 5 is fencing!). My fingers are crossed for a medal from Scottish teammate Mhairi Spence.
Would you want your children to follow your footsteps?
I don’t think its fair to put that kind of pressure on them, but if they can find a sport they love doing and they are lucky enough to be good at it then I will be as supportive as possible!
How do you relax?
Every time I sit down for more than 15 minutes I tend to fall asleep! Although, I have started playing online scrabble which I’m not very good at…
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Photo credit: Venture Wandsworth
