NGOM Helene

Personal Information

Occupation Athlete

Languages French

License number 24071993005

Club

Upcoming Events

Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport? She began fencing at age 10.

Why this sport? "My club was mostly good at epee, and I started to win competitions so I kept going."

Club / Team Academie Beauvaisienne d'Escrime: France

Name of coach Emmanuel Mortecrette [club], FRA; Jean Francois di Martino [national], FRA

Handedness Right

General Interest

Memorable sporting achievement Winning her first World Cup individual gold, in 2019 in Chengdu, People's Republic of China. (Madam Sport YouTube channel, 24 Apr 2019, 24 Apr 2019; escrime-ffe.fr, 23 Mar 2019)

Injuries In 2020 she sustained a stress fracture in her femur. (Instagram profile, 30 Dec 2020)

Sporting philosophy / motto "Fencing isn't just about training. It means meeting new people, visiting new countries, discovering other cultures, laughing, interacting with the young and old about fencing or life. Seeing each other grow together and feel supported in difficult times." (Instagram profile, 12 Sep 2020)

Ambitions To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (lesportaufeminin.fr, 27 Mar 2019)

Other information BEATING THE BEST
She had never finished higher than 12th at a senior international competition before winning the individual epee at the 2019 World Cup event in Chengdu, People's Republic of China. "I am naturally someone who gets stressed easily, so I'm trying not to get too wrapped up or distracted by it. People may expect more of me now and that adds pressure. I must focus on the next competition and forget that I won the last." (lesportaufeminin.fr, 27 Mar 2019)

END OF THE ROAD IN TOKYO
She intends to retire from fencing following the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. "Tokyo [2020] is the final, ultimate objective. Mixing sport with work and studies requires enormous sacrifices. At age 27 [in 2020] I think it will be time to put away the swords. We will see what I will do after. Maybe I will remain in the world of fencing. But one thing is certain, Tokyo will be my last challenge." (lesportaufeminin.fr, 27 Mar 2019)

ILLNESS
At around age 15 she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, an inflammatory bowel condition. "When I was told I had the disease I never thought about quitting sport. I continued doing what I was doing before. I just adapted to it. I adapted the training sessions, and got a lot of injuries, but I never said I would quit the sport because of the disease. Fatigue is the most complex situation with the illness, because no matter how hard you try to do things, you just can't do them. I tried sleeping more, or doing less sport. I tried everything, even sophrology." (AFA WEB TV YouTube channel, 16 May 2019)