Joseph Polossifakis takes a second stab at Olympic glory

When Joseph Polossifakis raises his mask and reveals his inviting smile, he gives the impression that he is an easygoing guy.

But when his mask drops and his sabre is raised in the ready position, perfection becomes his only focus.

Anything less is unacceptable. He agonizes over each mistake, but he doesn't needlessly beat himself up.

He knows first-hand that in the sport of fencing, the line between achieving your goal and complete failure is razor thin. One mistake at the wrong moment can cost you everything you've been working toward.

"I was going hard for 2012. I was all in. I was training two times a day and I didn't make it. It destroyed me. My identity was destroyed."

He beat the odds, pushed his body and mind to the limit of what was possible and realized his dream in 2016, competing for Canada in Rio.

And he isn't done yet. His path to Tokyo 2020 starts with the advantage of competing in front of his supporters this week at the Senior Pan American Championships in Toronto.

Joseph Polossifakis takes a second stab at Olympic glory

5 years ago

Duration 2:33

"I'd like to be remembered as one of the greatest sabre fencers in Canadian history."

Beating the odds to reach Rio

Polossifakis's run up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio was plagued with setbacks. He endured an ankle injury, a back injury, the discovery of a benign tumour in his leg — that still needs to be closely monitored by doctors — and a serious concussion.

Figuring his odds were too long to overcome, Polossifakis says he took a "nothing to lose" attitude into the key qualifying competitions for Rio and it worked.

"I was clutch at the right time, getting great results and managed to qualify as the top two guys in the whole continent," Polossifakis says.

"It taught me a lot about life. Life lessons about just being grateful for the journey and not attaching it happiness to result."

Making it to the Olympics also turned him into a celebrated member of Montreal's Greek community.

His elementary school — The Socrates school in Outremont — gave him a hero's send off leading up to the games.

"That motivates you even more and it gives you sort of more of a kick in the butt, let's say, because you know people are watching and looking up to you so you have to go do your best," Polossifakis says.

• Joseph Polossifakis returns to the school that lit his Olympic fire

Polossifakis carried a Canadian flag signed by all the students from the Socrates School into the arena in Rio as he battled to a 23rd place finish.

The challenge and pressure to make it back

In the years since his Olympic experience, Polossifakis has grown — outside of his sport.

He began working full-time and moved to Toronto. But his desire to get back to the Games was too strong to completely quit. He found a way to balance his job with training for 2020 qualifiers.

"To be honest, it's been very, very difficult," he said.

"On paper, it's great. I'm finding ways to make things work. But you know. the mental and physical strain is very difficult, going from work to training, travelling, trying to compete … not too many people in the world do what I'm doing right now."

Polossifakis has also started a podcast where he speaks with other athletes about their Olympics journeys.

"I interview other Olympians because I saw all their stories in the village [in Rio]. I thought I was special," Polossifakis says.

"But some people almost died on the way to the Olympics and I thought that we had to get these stories out."

• What the 2016 Rio Olympics mean to the parents of Team Canada athletes

Polossifakis also wants to leave his own legacy on sport of fencing in Canada.

At 28 years old, he knows that Tokyo 2020 is likely his last opportunity to compete on the sport's biggest stage.

This week's competition is important to qualifying and a rare opportunity — Polossifakis says it's been 15 years since a fencing competition at this level has been held on Canadian soil.

"It would be for sure one of the best memories I could ever hope to have. Winning is always great. But in front of your hometown fans — it is hard to beat that."

Polossifakis will drop his mask and compete with his Canadian teammates from Thursday, June 27 to Saturday, June 29 at the Delta Hotel Toronto Airport and Conference Centre. The competition runs until July 2.