Fencing spotlight: Charles Pedersen has become a leader for Shoreham-Wading River
Shorehan-Wading River fencer Charles Pedersen, right. Credit: Joe Mercado/ Middle Country Athletics
Shoreham-Wading River senior Charles Pedersen learned he had Type 1 diabetes in second grade. During the summer he found fencing, and around 10 years later he now dominates the strip as one of Long Island’s best foilists.
Coach Amanda Catapano knows this better than most, having watched Pedersen grow from a quiet freshman to a standout leader since his junior year.
“He has changed this program,” Catapano said. “He helps his teammates build more confidence . . . I kind of treat him as a third coach.”
Winning 30 of 33 bouts as a junior doesn’t come easy for anyone, let alone someone like Pedersen, who battles a very different type of opponent every day. Preparation is paramount when competing in tournaments as activity lowers blood sugar levels.
For Pedersen, that means packing a cooler with everything from cranberry juice boxes to Smarties. It helped Pedersen lead Centereach/Longwood/SWR’s foil team to a fifth-place finish among 12 competing teams at the Alan Kuver Memorial Relays at Huntington on Jan. 11.
Still, there are challenges.
“In my last round against Huntington, my blood sugar was in a plummet,” Pedersen said. “There have been times where my blood sugar is crashing too fast and I need to take my five minutes, sit down and keep up the sugar intake.”
His team trailed 40-31 as Pedersen stepped on the strip to face Huntington’s Nicholas Eubig-Martinez in the fifth-place match. When he stepped off the strip he had beaten him 14-3, ultimately recording 39 of his team’s touches to lead his team to a 45-43 comeback win over Huntington despite some unforgiving side effects.
“It’s harder to focus, my hands get shaky and I get a feeling of being weak, as if you were very, very hungry,” Pedersen said. “Your mind becomes a little hazy, so when I start sensing that I realize I have to go check (my glucose levels).”
But just because he has to take time for himself doesn’t mean he won’t spend some time on his teammates.
“During these times Charles loves to go around and help his teammates since he is required to take a break from physically fencing himself,” Catapano said.
You won’t catch the senior complaining. He’s already committed to fencing at Wheaton College, where he’ll help a second-year program grow. A cure is always possible, he says, and until then Pedersen will keep competing with the best of the best.
“Nothing is impossible, especially with (Type 1),” Pedersen said. “We just have a slightly different way of living that we need to prepare for.”
Balancing act
High school fencing isn’t just for high schoolers, and the middle schoolers who experience the varsity ranks can learn more than just skills on the strip.
Half Hollow Hills freshman Sia Patel joined varsity as an eighth grader, going 22-10 as one of six Suffolk middle school fencers who fenced at least 24 bouts.
“I think I got a lot more organized in what I have to do,” Patel said. “I’m not scrambling as much at the last minute to get homework and study for tests.”
Great Neck South’s Max Tse agreed. The freshman joined varsity as a seventh grader in 2022, noting how it’s “not easy” being on a varsity at such a young age.
Max Tse of Great Neck South, left, mentors seventh-grade teammate Matthew Wu during Wu's epee bout in a match against host Syosset on Jan. 10. Credit: James Escher
“I’m already fencing 20 hours a week. Adding another two hours every day, it’s a lot of fencing,” Tse said. “I had to learn how to balance fencing with school and academics while still getting sleep. I think it’s been so helpful for me, especially with time management. All these skills will benefit me. The sport has gotten me so far and will help so much when it comes to college.”
The Rebels already have another talented seventh-grade epeeist in Matthew Wu. Tse, currently undefeated as the team’s epee captain, knows from experience how daunting it can be.
“I feel what they felt,” Tse said. “I just tell them, ‘There’s no pressure.’ I think I put almost too much pressure on myself at the time.”
High school is all about preparing its students for adult life. Athletes like Patel and Tse have gotten a healthy jump on exactly that.
“It was nice to figure out how to manage my time before it became a big problem in the middle of junior year or something,” Patel said. “But I’ve also gained confidence, because being on a team and having a chance to win made me less nervous for year two and the rest.”
