With around twenty percent of the world’s population currently experiencing some degree of lockdown, urged by government to remain indoors and cease all communal activity, we find ourselves in an unprecedented moment of collective lethargy, bound to our sofas and looking wistfully outdoors.

In response, we bring you a collection of the sportier moments from HERO’s archives, where Olympic-hopefuls, weekend racers and seasoned fanatics all rub shoulders, to ease your twitching limbs. Pumped-up teens colliding on ice in Canada’s junior hockey leagues, petrol-heads flying over dunes on dirt bikes and rodeo prodigies riding bulls in Montana, these images remind us of the freedoms we take for granted, and which for the coming months we may be forced to go without.

Next up in our series is a look into the esoteric world of fencing with a story shot in Austin, Texas, by Danielle Levitt and styled by Julie Ragolia for HERO 18. One of the oldest Olympic disciplines, based on ancient skills of swordsmanship, fencing is among the few sports to have featured in every modern games alongside swimming, running, gymnastics and cycling. For anyone rusty on the rules: there are three weapons of choice, the foil, épée and sabre (though the professionals tend to specialise with one), all of which correspond with specific areas of the body they are permitted to target (stab – only hits with the tip count).

See the full story below.

See more archive HERO Sport content here.