Inkosi Brou has travelled across the world, participated in Olympic Qualifying events, and even placed in national competitions since beginning his fencing career almost ten years ago.

Inkosi was introduced to fencing back in 2016 when he watched the Rio Olympics and quickly became obsessed with the sport. After observing all of the Olympic athletes, he realized that fencing was what he wanted to pursue. At nine years old, Inkosi’s mother enrolled him in a fencing clinic, which was his first exposure to the world of fencing.

“I was really inspired by the Olympians competing and knew I wanted to play the sport. My obsession with fencing got to the point where I would make cardboard swords at my house and practice,” said Inkosi.

The first two years of Inkosi’s fencing journey mainly consisted of practice and training at his fencing club. Afterwards, he spent time playing in local competitions. Once he began to win consistently, his level of competition increased. Inkosi started to compete at regional competitions, followed by national ones, and as of last year, even international competitions.

“The journey has been really exciting. My favorite aspect of fencing is probably the fact that it is like physical chess. Not only do you need to be physically fit for fencing, but you also need to have your mental game on point,” said Inkosi.

Over time, Inkosi’s fencing career has led him to travel to fifteen countries to compete and work on his skills. Throughout his travels, he has greatly appreciated exploring new parts of the world while simultaneously learning about many nations’ unique styles of fencing.

“My favorite places I have traveled to for fencing were probably Iceland earlier this year, as well as Saudi Arabia last year. They were both extremely rewarding experiences,” said Inkosi.

Inkosi has had many accomplishments throughout his fencing journey, but his greatest, most recent one was reaching the quarterfinals at the Olympic Qualifiers. Inkosi is hoping to make it to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, representing Nigeria.

“My Los Angeles 2028 Olympic goal is helping me organize my life, as my eyes are firmly on the prize. I understand that being an Olympian is a privilege and that I need to improve quite a lot to reach that goal, but I fundamentally believe I can achieve it through sheer focus and dedication,” said Inkosi.

Looking to the near future, though, Inkosi has many other goals he is focused on achieving. Between winning more worldwide competitions and making progress on his Olympic journey, Inkosi has big plans for his 2025 fencing career.

“My main target in 2025 is to make the podium and get a medal at the African Junior Championships in Angola, as well as achieve another top-eight result in the African Senior Championships. I hope to also get a great result at the upcoming Junior World Championships in China. Overall, I view 2025 as another step in my Olympic journey, and I am very excited for what this new year holds in store for my fencing career,” said Inkosi.

In addition to all of his work and practice outside of school, Inkosi also competes on the Hackley Men’s Saber Team. He is captain of both the Men’s Saber Team and the overall Boy’s Team and has competed with Hackley’s Varsity Fencing Team since the eighth grade.

“We won three consecutive League (ISFL) championships and went undefeated for my 8th, 9th, and 10th grade seasons. This season, I recently captained Hackley Boys Fencing to a state championship victory and led Hackley Men’s saber to a state championship victory as well. I also won the 2025 individual state championship for men’s saber (NYSAIS),” said Inkosi.

While Inkosi’s fencing journey has been amazing and rewarding, it has also been challenging for him to find a balance between academics and the sport that he loves. Over time, though, he feels that he has figured out a way to balance the two.

“Balancing my academic pursuits with my international travel has been a difficult experience at times, yet I have learned so much from it. I have become more efficient, more disciplined, and more flexible while also drastically improving my time management. Having the ability to travel so much and fulfill my passion is a privilege that I am extremely thankful for,” said Inkosi.

Aside from winning more world-wide competitions and competing in the Olympics, Inkosi has another goal: to inspire other young fencers to pursue their passion.

“I hope that my hard work and future results can open up the sport of fencing for many other young Nigerians who hope to compete on the international stage,” said Inkosi.