Fab Five: Shawn Kim

Photographs have the ability to capture important pieces of our past and help us recall people, places, feelings, and memories that made an impact on our lives. For many scholar-athletes, pictures secure those special moments and assist in making their collegiate careers last forever.

In a feature called “Fab Five”, Triton scholar-athletes are tasked to pick five of their favorite photos to be highlighted on UCSDtritons.com. 

Today, we welcome saber fencer Shawn Kim. 

As a junior during the 2021-22 season, Shawn put together quite the list of accomplishments, culminating with a third-place finish at the NCAA National Collegiate Championships, which tied the best-ever finish by a Triton at Nationals. 

Shawn is a man of many titles after his impressive campaign:
• USFCA Men's Saber Fencer of the Year
• USFCA All-America First Team
• USFCA All-West Region First Team
• MPSF Men's Fencer of the Year
• All-MPSF First Team
• NCAA West Region Saber Champion
• MPSF Saber Champion
• USFCA All-Academic
• MPSF All-Academic
• UC San Diego Athlete of the Year

From Irvine, Calif., Shawn is a cognitive science major out of Sixth College.

1. Trust

My only goal for the season was to qualify for the NCAA’s. But being able to place within the top four was something I would’ve never imagined and definitely a surreal experience. I found it was really important to stick with my own style and try to not overthink my opponent's strategy because the pace of the tournament was too fast to do otherwise. With so many opponents each with their own unique style, I found that rather than trying to fence a different style that I’m uncomfortable with, it was important to rely on the habits I’ve developed throughout the season and trust myself. I was really nervous coming into the tournament, which is strange because I normally don’t feel too much pressure. But my coaches and teammates helped me calm down and I couldn’t have performed nearly as well without them.

2. My Second Family

Being a part of the team is no question the highlight of my college experience. I’ve made so many memories with this team that I consider them my second family. Besides practices, you can always see us at Blue Pepper having our study sessions, where most of us don’t really study. I’ve made some of my closest friends on this team and wouldn’t give up this experience for anything. 

3. Support

Throughout high school, every single tournament I fenced at was individual. So being able to fence with a team always cheering for me was something very new and much appreciated. It’s reassuring to know that even when I’m having a bad day, I have teammates that can let me know that I’m doing fine or win a couple more bouts to offset the losses. This image is dedicated to our team captain, Brandon Chien, because when I was having a bad day against Johns Hopkins, he stepped up to the plate and won the tiebreaker against them. We all have bad days, so it’s nice to have people supporting you in times of need.

4. Greatest Rivals and Supporters

I love the saber squad. In practice, we always push each other to improve as both our greatest rivals and supporters. And outside the team, we’ve done everything together from road trips to staying up all night finishing assignments. I consider them like family, and my college experience wouldn’t have been nearly as much fun or memorable without them. I’m really thankful to have them around.

5. Credit Where Credit is Due

There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. The unsung hero of our team, David Burgess, is the armorer who keeps all our equipment in pristine condition. Before every tournament, we have the luxury to get our equipment checked by him and grab replacements if necessary. I’m also very thankful for our head coach, Juan Ignacio Calderon, for handling all the logistics of our team and enabling us to compete at as many tournaments as possible. He’s the glue that holds our team together and he deserves the title of 2022 Coach of the Year at UC San Diego. Lastly, I’m thankful for Aaron Villasenor for the wonderful saber coaching he’s brought to the team. I feel very confident when he’s strip coaching me and a lot of my success this year can be credited directly to him.