Sherraine Mackay
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Sherraine Mackay (born June 21, 1975 in Brooks, Alberta) is a Canadian fencer. She is a graduate of the University of Ottawa. She finished in 6th place in individual Epee at the 2001 world championships. Sherraine is currently the number one women's epeeist.
Sherraine Schalm-MacKay, currently ranked No.1 in the world, has put Canada on the map in fencing and is now a gold medal threat at every world-class event. Nicknamed “Shep” for incessantly following her older siblings around, she has left that attitude behind, proving to be Canada’s fencing pioneer. Flessel-Colovic vs. MacKay St Maur 2006 final
A member of the Canadian Women's Épée National Team since 1994, Schalm-Mackay has won an unprecedented eleven World Cups while medalling at fifteen others. At the 2005 Leipzig World Championships she made history becoming the first ever Canadian fencer to win a medal (Bronze) improving on her previous best of 6th. In the 2004 Athens Olympics she placed (18th individually - 4th by team) and is a four-time medallist at the Pan American Games.
Born and raised in Brooks, Alta., Sherraine was introduced to the sport by Alan Nelson, a teacher at her junior high school. After graduating high school Mr. Nelson recommended she move to Ottawa, ON to world with Manuel Guillet to help her reach new heights in the fencing world.
In 2001, Sherraine finished up her studies at University of Ottawa, got married and moved to Paris, France to prepare for the Athens Olympics. She taught English to France’s high-level athletes who thankfully understood when her competition schedule took her around the globe! Since competing in Athens, Sherraine moved to Budapest, Hungary where she currently prepares for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. She is training with a new coach, Győző Kulcsár, learning new things and a new language!
Sherraine, 30, is a dynamic athlete who has an exuberant personality and varied interests, active in both her community and church. She is fluent in both English and French and has degrees in English (Honours) and Education from the University of Ottawa. Married to a musician, any time Sherraine has outside of her sport she loves to spend at home "jamming", cooking, playing backgammon and going to the opera. Sherraine is also an inspired writer chronicling her escapades in the international world of sport. Her book entitled 'Running With Swords' was released in October 2005 by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Publishing house.
Havana, Cuba – World no.1 women’s épée fencer and author of Running with Swords, Sherraine Schalm-MacKay was one point away from winning her sixth world cup of the season before falling 15-14 to her Hungarian training partner, Emese Szasz in the final of the Havana World Cup Grand Prix today.
With the silver medal Schalm-MacKay of Brooks, Alberta has officially won the 2006 World Cup Circuit by accumulating the most points throughout this season.
”It feels amazing to win the World Cup Circuit! I’ve had an really consistent year and this is congrats for it! I'm so, so happy!”
This sort of success has been foreign to Canadians as Sherraine steps into unmarked territory in the fencing world medalling at 13 of the last 15 world class events she has attended.
In the Havana heat earlier today, Sherraine began with victories over Maria Martinez (VEN), Eimey Gomez Chivas (CUB), Yana Shemyakina (UKR), Sonya Tol (NED) before defeating Lubov Shutova from Russia 15-14 to meet Emese Szasz from Hungary in the final. Sherraine and Emese train in Budapest at the same club under the tutelage of Coach Gyozo Kulcsar.
”I came 2nd today and yet I still won the world cup!” Schalm-MacKay said with her usual witty sense of humour, “Emese fenced really well today and now I can’t wait for Worlds…only three months to go!”
Sherraine now fixes her eyes on winning gold at the 2006 World Championships in Torino this fall as she tries to better her bronze medal performance from last year.
Laura Flessel-Colovic of France and Lubov Shutova were the other medal winners taking home bronze.
Other Canadian results: Julie Leprohon of Montreal finished 32nd, Toronto’s Ainsley Switzer placed 40th while Catherine Dunnette from Calgary was 60th.
Schalm-MacKay, Leprohon, Dunnette and Switzer will represent Canada in the team event Sunday.
