Say hello to Aiaz Shaikhutdinov — Grade 12 CIC student and rising fencing star.
Aiaz picked up the sword at just 8 years old, and with multiple medals in both individual and team competitions in Russia, he’s showing what passion and hard work can achieve
“Fencing is like chess, but with physical exertion… It has taught me not to give up, to set goals and keep striving. There are ups and downs, but each time I must get up and keep working to reach new heights.”
Now Aiaz is balancing his studies at CIC with five – six training sessions per week in Toronto at Tim’s Fencing Academy alongside coach Tim Svidnytskiy.
His dream? To become a Surgical Oncologist (urology specialization) — while never stepping away from the strip.
Aiaz is grateful for the coaches who shaped his journey: Zhanna Bikkin, Lyudmila Soboleva, Levon Akhverdyan, Loris Akhverdyan, referee Natalia Zhuravleva , and Murat Narin.
“There are no ex-athletes, especially fencers. Fencing is its own family, its own world — and I’m lucky to be part of it.”
