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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Sébastien Bérard

Experience: I am the best lightsaber fighter in Europe

Light Saber ChampionSébastien Berard, Europe lightsaber champion photographed at the Plateaux Sauvages in Paris
‘I thought: I’m a geek. I like Star Wars. I’ve done fencing. Let’s try it’: Sébastien Bérard, photographed in Paris. Photograph: Magali Delporte/The Guardian

I grew up in the suburbs around Paris and started fencing when I was five. I kept it up until I was about 22, but then began looking for something else. I started running marathons instead. The good thing about running is that you can go whenever you want – but that also means you can put it off all the time. I wanted a sport that had more structure.

I considered options like the canne de combat, a martial art in which people fight each other with a wooden cane. But then I listened to a podcast that mentioned plans to create a fighting sport using lightsabers. I thought: I’m a geek. I like Star Wars. I’ve done fencing. Let’s try it.

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