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When Kyle Barja started fencing five years ago, some coaches felt he was too out of tune with the sport and too out of shape to have much of a future.
Now the 20-year-old Charlottean is one of the Charlotte Fencing Academy's most decorated students. And next month, he'll be one of several pupils representing it at the U.S. Fencing Summer National Championships in Grapevine, Texas.
Barja is one of the more advanced students at the academy, often taking a lead role among his fellow classmates and providing some tutelage. When he started fencing five years ago, he followed a friend to a CFA practice and became its newest student the same day.
“He has put in a lot of work,” said academy owner and coach Brian Toomey. “When he came in, he could barely do a push-up. He's just put in the work and displays a good attitude.”
Now Barja, who competes in the epee event (other styles of fencing include saber and foil), has two national medals to his credit.
In 2006, he placed seventh at North American Cup division 2/3 event in Memphis, Tenn.
In 2007, Barja finished third at a similar event in Atlanta. Last year, he became a junior Southeast sectional champion and was second in the open division, which included adult fencers, too.
A Central Piedmont Community College student, Barja will compete at the Summer Nationals in Division 1A – or “Div,” in the jargon of the sport – which is just a step away from fencing's highest classification, Div 1. Next fall, he plans to enroll at N.C. State and is interested in becoming a member of its club fencing team.
Kyle's brother, Wes Barja, will compete at his first national event. He is a ninth-grader at Grace Academy in Matthews.
Wes says he became interested in fencing two years ago, through Kyle's participation, but says that he “likes hitting people with swords” and that he had a penchant for movies about swashbuckling pirates.
A former soccer, basketball and football player, Wes qualified for Summer Nationals at a Raleigh tournament in early April. He will compete in the cadet (younger than 17) men's saber and the Div 2 and 3 open tournaments.
Also competing in Grapevine will be one of Kyle Barja's contemporaries, Charlotte resident Nick Hallman. In his early 20s, Hallman, a top 8 finisher in the Southeast section for several years, will join Kyle in the Div 1A tournament. Thirteen-year-old Eamonn Kelly will battle in the Youth-14 saber division.
Two CFA coaches will switch roles for the week and compete. Jeff Kallio, Wes Barja's and Eamonn's coach, will participate in the Div 2 men's saber competition. Colleen Gallant will compete in Div 2 women's foil.
Kerry Herrick started fencing three or four years ago after her son had taken lessons from Toomey for years. Now she'll battle in the veteran's women's epee tournament.
Toomey is extending his weapons in all directions, trying to facilitate interest in his sport. This summer, CFA will hold camps at Providence Day School, Trinity Episcopal School, Concord Cannon School and at sites in Davidson and Matthews.
A product of UNC Charlotte's fencing club, Toomey founded the academy in 2001. He was the only coach then, and he started with all of three students.
Now with a staff of five, and about 90 students at its north Charlotte location, CFA has a total of almost 150 fencers if you count those at satellite facilities in Matthews, Huntersville, Concord, Davidson, and Mooresville. CFA partners with local parks and recreation departments to set up the satellites.
