Bulgaria's national fencing champion
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
PLOVDIV, Bulgaria — Atom Sogoian of the Bulgaria Plovdiv Branch took first place in the National Fencing Championship 2006 in the men's foil division. The contest was held in Plovdiv on Dec. 2, the biggest annual sports event for the Bulgarian Fencing Federation.
"I know that Heavenly Father loves me," said Brother Sogoian after the contest. He was celebrating in the arms of his wife, Karina, and two daughters, Ines, 9, and Michelle, 5, and was joined by several Church friends who supported him through the competition.
Brother Sogoian is an experienced fencer, training for 15 years, from ages 7 to 21, in neighboring Armenia. He is holder of the socialist honorable title "master of sports," and is a multiple-times champion in Armenia and in the former Soviet Union.
Brother Sogoian and his wife arrived in Plovdiv in 1992 from their native Armenia. They were 22 years old then and part of a small contingent of refugees who fled their country after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
They had no money nor friends and didn't know a word of Bulgarian. But they were ready when missionaries knocked on their door in 1994.
Brother Sogoian's dream is to open a fencing school for children. The challenge, he said, is, "We are poor." He said he hopes to connect with members of other fencing clubs to acquire used, second-hand fencing equipment for children.
