By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
A Filipino-American has fulfilled a cherished childhood dream of being a real “Jedi” after Mitchell Saron secured a slot in the United States men’s sabre team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
This will be the first time the 23-year-old Saron, who was born in New Jersey to a Filipina mother, will be competing in the global sporting spectacle.
He clinched a berth after their team won a silver medal at the Padua World Cup and a gold medal at the Men’s Saber World Cup in Budapest, Hungary both last month.
A former Harvard University standout, Saron got hooked into the sport after watching ‘Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith’ as a child. He said he loved being able to live his childhood dream of being a real life Jedi.
“It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” said Saron, a three-season standout for the men’s fencing team, in an interview with The Harvard Crimson.
“This achievement is a dream come true, one I’ve had since I was nine years old and first picked up a saber,” he added.
Saron said most of his Olympic qualifying points were earned in the first half of the season as he failed to compete in various events last year, including one in Algeria, due to a thumb injury on his fencing hand.
He and his coach, however, developed a technique to adapt to his injury and went on to return competing starting in December until the team event in Budapest.
With the qualification, Saron is focused on “fine-tuning every aspect of (my) preparation — physical, mental and technical.”
Last month, Maxine Esteban, a Filipino who is now representing Ivory Coast, also secured a spot in the Paris Olympics.
