But after she delivered donated gear from the Denver Fencing Center and the Denver Fencing Foundation and ran a Para fencing demo in wheelchair fencing, one local coach would not let the idea go. 

Shekinah Mpunwa kept reaching out. He wanted to know what it would take to start a programme. 

Two years later, Taylor, a retired U.S. Marine, returned to Namibia in October to see what Mpunwa had built. She was stunned. 

“I was surprised to see how quickly the programme had grown and how organised they were, already having support from the Namibian National Paralympic Committee and local fencing community,” Taylor says. 

During the October visit, the Denver Fencing Foundation donated an official fencing chair, painted in Namibia’s national colors, along with FIE-approved gear for three fencers ready for international competition. Taylor spent her days leading the Namibia Para Fencing Camp, coaching basics and working with athletes like Nelson Maetja, who she said showed up every day hungry to learn more. 

For Mpunwa, the stakes go beyond sport. Taylor said he described Para fencing as a chance for people with disabilities to show their community what they are capable of. As word spread, requests for equipment and training poured in from outlying regions — more than one coach could handle alone. 

Taylor sees her work in Namibia as personal. 

“Honestly, I see this as an extension of the military career I never got to have,” she says. “It allows me to travel and work with others to make a difference while representing my country.” 

Her trips have been self-financed. A recent interview with NBC Digital News Namibia Connects, in which Mpunwa and Maetja thanked Taylor by name, caught her off guard. 

“I was honestly surprised and honored they took the time to mention me,” she says. 

“We all want to be number one,” Taylor says, “but unless we help others grow, we will not have those to push us to be better and grow ourselves.” 

Nambia, alongside other African countries, continues to grow actively in wheelchair fencing, regularly posting their training and showcasing the new athletes they have recruited.  

“My dream is to take part in the Paralympic Games in 2028,” Mateja said in the interview with Namibia Connects. “Our target it to get all the regions involved, so to go to different regions and identify different talents. Our sport doesn’t really have an age bracket, so we can get many kids from school.  

“We want to see it grow, we want to see the numbers. So we encourage everyone to get involved. Sponsors come and speak to us. We are here, we are ready to talk,” Mpunwa said. 

World Para Fencing is supporting the work of African nations through the latest edition of its Wheelchair Fencing Academy. Working with the Commonwealth Fencing Federation, from 4-7 August, athletes and coaches have the chance to take part in training and education in Lagos, Nigeria, led by international experts, with support available for World Abilitysport Members for travel and accommodation. They can then stay on to compete at the Commonwealth Para Fencing Championships, also in Lagos, from 10-13 August. More information is available from [email protected].  

 

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