Time and again, life has dealt Maxine Esteban serious blows.

Time and again, the 24-year-old fencing ace has stood back up with triumphant force.

Weighed down by a back injury since the Paris Olympics, the Filipino-Ivorian standout ended an eight-month hiatus with a bang, securing the silver medal in the women’s individual foil category of the 23rd African Fencing Championships here.

“This medal means everything—it’s proof that patience and recovery pay off,” Esteban said.

And her restart is getting better.

In the latest ranking by the International Fencing Federation (FIE), Esteban climbed to No. 25 in women’s foil, jumping five spots up from No. 30, where she fell to after her long break forced by injury.

Esteban is now preparing for the 2025 World Championship in Tbilisi, Georgia, next month. In August, she will fly back to the Philippines for a homecoming for a cause. Esteban will hold a fencing outreach program for young kids.

Esteban’s silver medal showcased her tenacity in her return to active competition since competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where she finished with a final rank of 21. Shortly after that, she suffered a back injury.

Esteban was solid in the African championships, ousting Algeria’s Malek Tantast, 15-3, in the round-of-16. In the quarterfinals, she edged out Egypt’s Jana Ehab in a hard-fought duel, 15-12.

In the semifinals, the 24-year-old Esteban gave Egypt No. 2 Malak Hamza the boot, 15-8, to book a final showdown against fellow 2024 Paris Olympian Sara Hossny.

Esteban settled for silver after a 15-8 defeat in the battle for the crown. —CONTRIBUTED INQ