THORNBURY fencer Caron Hale is getting ready for the new campaign in September after a busy nine months with her sword.

Hale won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Championships foil competition last November and took a bronze at the European Championships in May.

The fencer, who competes in the fifty to sixty year old age category, just missed out on selection for the World Championships, which are taking place in Slovenia this year, last month.

The Thornbury swordswoman said she was surprised to win her European medal a few months ago.

Hale added: “I entered the Europeans in May not thinking about anything because I am only a club standard fencer.

“But I got a bronze medal with one of my other team-mates,” she said about the tournament, held in Chiandani, north of Genoa in Italy.

Hale was in the top fifty fencers in the world for her age group, but has now slipped down the rankings somewhat.

However, she said: “I was very surprised that I came second in the Commonwealths foil competition – and that was my first major experience at a championships.”

The World Championships qualifiers were held at Bletchley last month, and Hale, who is a member of Bristol Fencing Club but trains regularly at Thornbury Leisure Centre, said: “This is the first time I have not qualified for them.

“Only four can go to the worlds but I have not given up hope.”

Hale is first reserve should anybody drop out of the event, but her main concentration is on the up-coming campaign.

“The season will pick up in September and the big competition (to begin with) is the Bristol Open.”

Her technical coaching comes from Shaun Ganley in Thornbury and Andy Martin in Bristol, while Joe Pearce helps her with her fitness in Thornbury, and Hale said the three of them have helped her to the successes of the last months.