Ask Yu Chui Yee about her history-making place in the sport of wheelchair fencing and she instantly recalls a favourite saying.

“For those people who always talk about the past it’s because they don’t have a future. If you have something to focus on, something to improve, you don’t talk about history.”

Yu, who competes in her sixth Paralympic Games at Paris 2024, has plenty of other things on her mind.

From training with and cooking for Great Britain’s men’s wheelchair fencing team, taking a daily nap – in and out of competition – hosting a radio programme at home in Hong Kong, and making sure her hair is long enough.

Finding hope after Tokyo 2020

The record books confirm that she is the most decorated female wheelchair fencer in history thanks to seven gold medals starting at Athens 2004, three silver and one bronze.

There are expectations on her again but drawing a blank at Tokyo 2020 has changed her mindset.

“I was quite depressed at my performance because I didn’t get any medals. I thought that I’m not good enough. Maybe it is time for me to put the full stop on wheelchair fencing,” she said.

Fortunately she put Japan in perspective, from the lack of training opportunities post-Covid to the empty venue.

“I received a lot of messages on social media. I also remember that in the team event [Tokyo 2020] I was last leg for the team. We didn’t get the bronze, we finished fourth, but I fenced so good and I didn’t think about winning.

“What makes me do it again is that I have hope. If you can’t have sadness, then you can’t have happiness in comparison.”

Yu Chui Yee: Champion wheelchair fencer from Hong Kong🇭🇰, inspiring through resilience and triumph.

Her participation in her sixth Paralympic Games in Paris 2024 highlights her unwavering dedication and passion, empowering para athletes worldwide.✨

#asianparalympiccommittee pic.twitter.com/qL80JseQ9S

— Asian Paralympic Committee (@asianparalympic) July 11, 2024

The driving urge to win used to dictate Yu’s actions. She started fencing at the age of 17 following the amputation of her left leg because of bone cancer and was soon one of the Paralympic stars.

Looking back, she now has a different view of life and wheelchair fencing.

“Sometimes you feel satisfaction when you win the medals. Sometimes you can appreciate yourself even if you don’t get a medal. I tried to see myself in another perspective. 

“In the old days if I didn’t win, I felt nothing. Now I will try to appreciate what I have done.

“I have more enjoyment now when I am doing fencing than before because previously all I thought about was the result.”

Training, cooking and having a good time

The period between Tokyo 2020 and her preparations for Paris 2024 has been spent on looking at other fencing techniques. To that end, Yu has been a grateful guest at Bath University in Great Britain where she has trained with the men’s team.

“I have trained with them for the past two years occasionally and I would like to go there before Paris. Head Coach Peter Rome invited me and I chose to go because they are talented and medal winners.”

She name checks Piers Gilliver, Oliver Lam Watson, Dimitri Coutya.

“I go there to enhance my ability and my tactics. I also enjoy training in UK. We have some time to hang out. I love cooking, especially Asian food so we have a lot of enjoyable time. I will make dumpling fried rice and it’s good enough for me to charge them!

“They are willing to share the training experience we me and we have a good time on the piste and off the piste.”

This is the story of seven-time Paralympic champion and all-round history maker Yu Chui Yee 👉 👉 👉 https://t.co/1W4E4adX4b#WheelchairFencing65 pic.twitter.com/Gcf3TuFOTR

— #WheelchairFencing (@WheelchairFence) July 2, 2020

The Hong Kong team also train with the Chinese athletes so Yu gets the best of both worlds.

“The GB team share with me and they say ‘don’t talk about the skill but focus on how you see yourself’. It is a philosophy. In the Asian mind it is how to do the action perfectly.

“You have to be in this angle, in this position, actually it is about the timing, not because you do the action perfectly.  That lit up my heart.”

Secret to keeping calm

Yu is still chasing the flow state where athletes are in complete harmony, but it remains a work in progress. She has a couple of tricks up her sleeve, however.

“I have a secret. Sometimes when I am in a condition when I feel I’m going to lose myself, I will tell myself to calm down and then I will tidy up my hair. This is a hint.

“When I lose control of myself, I am going to fly to the space in my mind, tidy my hair and then my time is reset. I think this is quite useful. That is why a lot of woman fencers have long hair.”

Yu has another secret.

“I need to have a nap, no matter where or how short it is. If I don’t have a nap on that day my emotion will not be good. I will feel a bit of anger if I don’t have a nap even if it is 30 minutes.

“I have a nap during competition. So say I reach the quarter-finals and the match is going to be one and a half hour later. Then I will have something to eat and then I will have a nap for 45 minutes.

“I set the alarm, wake up, go to the toilet, warm up. My teammates know that when they see somebody lying down in Team HK places, they know it must be me.”

Yu will practice her signature pose in advance and admits she is a big fan of the fencer’s uniform.

“The costume looks so elegant. I always imagine what is my signature pose will be after I win. I can just take off the mask or point the sword to the sky. It looks so cool.

“My signature is that I will shout and then I will come down a bit and take off the mask as if it is not special to me. I will have some rehearsals how I am supposed to manage my facial expression.”

Now it is all about the fencing and the battle to find that flow state in Paris.
 

Discover more about wheelchair fencing and the 22 sports in the Paris 2024 Paralympic sports programme 

Book your tickets for the Paralympic Games by visiting the Paris 2024 ticketing website