When Grace Lozier first embarked on the sport of fencing, she looked at it as a hobby.

But for the last several years, it’s become a lot more than that.

“[Fencing] has definitely ended up being more of a lifeline for me,” the rising junior at Providence Day says. It’s something that I can always count on. It has allowed me to meet so many incredible people, both on my team and around the world.”

It’s also opened up avenues for honors. Grace has been named a 2023-24 Fencing High School All-American, meaning she’s one of the best fencers in the country. She also made the All-Academic Team.

“Fencers are encouraged to pursue this honor to be recognized not only for their superior skills in the sport but also for their excellent leadership and sportsmanship off the fencing strip,” wrote Brad Suchorski, Director of Membership, Service and Growth for USA Fencing, when announcing the award.

Grace was introduced to fencing as a third-grade student at Providence Day during an Extended Day fencing camp. She’s been pursuing the sport seriously since and competed in the 2024 Junior Olympics last February at the Charlotte Convention Center. 

“I felt really excited to see both my athletic and academic careers pay off,” Grace says. “I put years of practice and schoolwork simultaneously into receiving this honor, and I couldn’t be happier.”

Most of her tournaments are out of state, which means 5:00 a.m. wakeup calls and spans of several 12-hour days. She competed in the national championships in Phoenix last summer and qualified to compete in championships this summer in Columbus, Ohio. Now, she’s looking toward college.

“My main goal right now is to prioritize practice even more so that I may get the opportunity to be recruited and fence in Division I in college,” she says. “I have trained in Charlotte, Virginia,  Connecticut, and Boston with some really incredible coaches, and I couldn’t do it without them.”