Sports Spotlight - West Orange Times & Observer: Ross Doane

Recent Celebration High School graduate Ross Doane may live in Kissimmee, but he has been training at Winter Garden Fencing Academy for nine years. The 18-year-old recently placed fifth in the men’s foil event at the division championships in Tampa. He will attend Ithaca College in the fall to study filmmaking and computer science. 

How did you get started with fencing?

When I was young, I was sort of forced to go to these Scottish games. At one, I think in Gainesville, they were showing fencing, and I saw it and was like, ‘This looks really cool and I’m going to try it out.’ I was like 9, so I decided to try fencing out, came here and fell in love with it since.

Why do you like the foil style?

When I first started, I didn’t even know there were different styles, but the club here primarily teaches foil, and eventually you start branching off to the other two weapons. I love foil because of how much more movement and how much more complicated it was. In foil, there is always something happening. It’s always intense, it feels faster and feels more like what you think sword fighting would be. 

Will you continue fencing after this summer?

Definitely. Ithaca has a pretty good club, and up in New York, it’s sort of known as one of the strongest states for fencing, so it feels like a new chapter with what I want to do. I’m definitely going to stick with it, because I love it so much.

Why did you choose Ithaca College?

It’s a really good film school, and that’s sort of what I want to do — that and computer science. I got a pretty good scholarship and financial aid package to go there. That and I also love Ithaca and upstate New York.

Have you helped mentor younger students at the fencing academy?

Whoever has seniority is kind of like a pseudo coach, especially at tournaments, so we kind of take the role of coaching people on the side, and that’s sort of what my job is. When I was little, there were kids who did that, and I always thought they were so good, and it’s cool to think I’m at that position now, and it’s cool to help out the next generation of fencers.

Why are you interested in filmmaking?

Ever since I was little I really liked movies and that’s what I would do when I didn’t have homework or chores — watch movies. 

Universal or Disney?

Universal, mostly because it’s got roller coasters and Harry Potter. I’m a huge Harry Potter nerd.

What’s your Harry Potter house?

Ravenclaw. I took (the quiz) three times and got Ravenclaw twice and Gryffindor once, but Gryffindor feels too mainstream.