Cheyenne H is the NY1 Athlete of the Week!

Cheyenne knew little about fencing until she watched the Beijing Olympic games. Then, she was hooked. 
"It's a very intense sport. It also challenges my mind, because people call it physical chess, and I really have to think to strategize and everything, so it really challenges every part of me," Cheyenne says.

The senior at Hunter College High School is the captain of the fencing team. She's led her squad to three PSAL championships while also managing the boys' team. Her coaches and teachers say she's not one to "let her guard down." 

"English is something that she feels less confident in than in some of her other subjects, but she really threw herself into it, and I think the other kids really respect that," says Kim Airoldi, an English teacher at Hua's school.

"She's just a very quick study. She grasps things almost instantly. She's interested in pursuing things outside the box and going further. She's just one of the reasons I don't want to retire," says Sheila Krilov, a math teacher at the high school.

Teachers say she is a gifted mathematician, and she uses those skills to help others. 
She volunteers once a week tutoring struggling students with their homework.

"I just love the feeling when you're teaching a concept and they finally get it."

Cheyenne also finds time to take a class at Columbia University and lead her school's Inventors Club. Despite her busy schedule, her focus is always "on point."

"Doing a sport, but like, especially something as mentally challenging as fencing keeps me, like, on top of things. It makes sure that my mind doesn't go to mush," Cheyenne says.

While the aspiring engineer would love to compete for Olympic gold one day, just like those who inspired her to take up the sport, Cheyenne says she's focusing on her final year with her team. 

"The Olympics is way out there, but it's a goal. But right now, I'm looking at closer goals, like maybe another city championship," she says. 

So, for successfully thrusting herself into all the challenges she's faced, Cheyenne H is our Ford Lincoln of Queens/NY1 Scholar Athlete of the Week.