Proud Sunderland fencer Josh Waddell hopes his European Championship exploits can help enhance the profile of the sport in the north-east.
The 23-year-old is currently competing at the continental para showpiece in Cardiff, a long way away from his native home.
Waddell suffered a last 32 sabre exit on Friday morning after reaching the last 16 in his favoured epee category earlier in the week.
A long trek from Sunderland
The recent Durham University graduate is an avid Black Cats fan and admits the popularity of fencing in the area is not what he wants it to be. But he hopes competing at European level in the first qualification event for the LA2028 Paralympic Games can help catapult the sport forward.
“The people in Sunderland will know that getting to Cardiff is a long trek!” he joked. “I’m proud to be flying the north-east flag – fencing isn’t too big up there so if we can get it bigger, that will only be great.
“It’s a great sport, loads of fun and I hope more people can get into it.
“Cardiff is a long, long way from old Sunderland, so sadly I haven’t got any family here. But I know they’re supporting me from afar and looking at the results online.
“I know they’re supporting me, but it is very far away!
Lessons from sabre, focus on foil
“There was some great fencing today – sabre is the weapon I put the least time into, but there was some good fencing. Psychologically as well, I was really strong and positive.
“I’m taking the good lessons from it, then moving into tomorrow for foil.”
The European Championships are being held in the UK for the first time since Sheffield in 2011, hosted at the Sport Wales National Centre in the shadow of Sophia Gardens.
Waddell is one of the brightest stars on the British Fencing scene, having been part of the Paris Paralympic qualification team alongside Dimitri Coutya, Piers Gillivers and Oliver Lam-Watson in the run-up to those Games. He did not compete in the French capital but hopes success in Saturday’s individual foil category can lay the foundations for a Californian summer in 2028.
Positive mindset for the future
“I’m feeling positive – I’m healthy and feeling really good,” he added. “It’s always easy to look at negatives – I always try and be as positive as possible.
“I always give myself a 10-minute pity party after I’ve fenced, but after that, you have to cut your losses, take your lessons and move forward.
“Tomorrow’s a new day – maybe I win, maybe I don’t – but I’m trying to bring as much positive thinking as possible into all my competitions.”
The Para Fencing European Championships, supported by funding from UK Sport through The National Lottery and Welsh Government, is being held in Cardiff from 6th-11th October 2026, seeing athletes from across Europe compete in the first qualification event for the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.
