Claire - Bennett
fencing
What was your sport and how did you get into it?
My sport was fencing. I started fencing at 10 years old at an after school club. At time I loved the idea of doing something different and I remember thinking I wanted to be able to fence like I was on Pirates of the Carribean! I remember my fencing coach looked down at me after our very first lesson when I was just 10 years old, and said, one day I would go to the World Championships and Olympic Games. He was the one who lit that spark of passion I had for fencing all those years ago. I was lucky to have a wonderful first coach who really believed in me.
Tell us about the highlights of your sporting career?
I would say a highlight for me was captaining the England team to a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. I also won the bronze medal in the individual Championships. It was a special day where everything came together on the day - a feeling I will never forget. I am also proud to say that I competed at all of the major European and World Championships through Cadet, Junior and Senior level.
What were some of the challenges you experienced and how did you overcome them?
I was bullied at school which was a difficult time for me. I lost my self-esteem and belief in myself. Luckily fencing gave me an outlet to be myself, and focus on the good things that were happening in my life. I also just missed out on qualifying for the London 2012 Olympic Games, my home Olympic Games. It was the biggest disappointment of my life. The fact that I gave it everything I had meant that I had no regrets, and it gave me the freedom to move on in my life beyond sport. More recently, life unexpectedly threw me a curveball when I found out I had a Basal Cell Carcinoma on the bridge of my nose (skin cancer).
It’s only when you’re faced with obstacles, stress, and other challenges that you realise just how strong you are. I'm a tougher, more resilient and well rounded person because of it.
What have been your highlights while working at the Trust?
There are too many highlights to mention on here! I have been lucky enough to be working for the Trust since 2013. The Trust feels like home for me and we are an amazing team. The best thing about being an athlete mentor is supporting and developing others. We are so lucky to be able to go on a journey with a young person and support them to achieve their goals and ambitions. It fills me with pride and joy to see the positive impact athlete mentors have on the lives of young people and the best bit is following their progress and success in their lives beyond each programme. It always puts a huge smile on my face!
What do you do now alongside working for the Trust?
I own a company called ‘Perform be happy’ which is all about achieving your goals and enjoying the journey along the way. I always put too much pressure on myself when I was fencing, and I am now passionate about getting the best from yourself by enjoying the journey. I work with elite orchestras across the UK to help them to overcome performance anxiety and perform their best. I also deliver leadership workshops to corporates and I am a qualified performance coach. I commentate on the fencing on Eurosport and I am passionate about supporting women's sport. I work two days a week for the Women's Sport Trust as their Athlete Lead, and I am lucky enough to do what I love!
What life advice would you give a young person?
My advice would be to trust yourself and do the things that you love to do. Work hard, worry less and enjoy the journey along the way because life is short. You are capable of anything you put your mind to. Give it everything you have and you will have no regrets!
What experience do you have of working with corporate organisations?
I have a large amount of experience delivering to corporates, small businesses and charities. I can deliver on most topics and I deliver corporate workshops on a monthly basis through my company Perform Be Happy. I am also a resident performance coach for a few companies which means that I visit clients on a monthly basis and offer them 1-2-1 performance coaching sessions.
What does Being Me mean to you?
Being me is about being true to your authentic self. It's about loving yourself and what you stand for. Being courageous enough to be yourself because your best will always be good enough.
Competitive
Record
2010
Commonwealth Fencing Games - Team Gold Medal
Commonwealth Fencing Games - Individual Bronze Medal
2009
British National Championships - Individual silver medal
2008
British National Championships - Individual silver medal
2007
World University Games - Quarter Finalist
2006
Commonwealth Fencing Games - Team Bronze Medal
2002
Commonwealth Fencing Games - Team Gold Medal
