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MAY 2022 | VOLUME 73 | ISSUE 1
THE BILES EFFECT WHAT SHE TAUGHT US ALL ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
P. 46
HISTORY OF FENCING THREE TITLES, THREE WEAPONS — ALL IN THE SAME YEAR
P. 30
BEHIND THE MASK MEET PARALYMPIAN TERRY HAYES
P. 32
JUNIORS, CADETS SHOW THEIR SKILLS IN SALT LAKE
30
CHARLES C. BOTHNER one-of-a-kind champion
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JUNIOR OLYMPICS
BRING MAJOR FENCING EVENT TO SALT LAKE CITY
THE FRONT 5 LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN 6 EDITOR’S NOTE
COLUMNS 20 RULES & REFEREES 23 SPORTS MEDICINE Q&A 28 SPORTS SCIENCE 30 USA FENCING IN HISTORY 32 BEHIND THE MASK
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BEHIND THE MASK
FEATURES 36 BASIC EPEE STRATEGY 40 THE GENTLE GIANT: AKHI SPENCER-EL 44 BOOK REVIEW: BECOMING A TRUE ATHLETE 46 THE BILES EFFECT: OLYMPIC TRADITION & ATHLETE WELFARE THE POINT 52 WOMEN IN FENCING 60 PARENTS’ CORNER
MAY 2022 VOLUME 73 ISSUE 1 C USAFENCING.ORG 3
DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF Jose R. DeCapriles Miguel A. DeCapriles CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jack Gierhart (Interim) j.gierhart@usafencing.org PUBLISHER/ADVERTISING SALES Bryan Wendell b.wendell@usafencing.org EDITOR Serge Timacheff editor@americanfencing.org PRODUCTION/DESIGN Manna Creations www.MannaCreations.com Please send all correspondence and articles for submission to Editor, American Fencing 210 USA Cycling Point, Suite 120, Colorado Springs, CO 80919, editor@americanfencing.org. American Fencing is published quarterly. Please contact the editor regarding submission deadlines and advertising. American Fencing (ISSN 0002-8436) is published quarterly by the United States Fencing Association, Inc., 210 USA Cycling Point, Suite 120, Colorado Springs, CO 80919. Periodicals postage is paid at Colorado Springs, CO 80909-5774, and additional offices. Subscriptions to American Fencing are included with membership in the association. Individuals can subscribe for $25 in the United States and $37 elsewhere. Postmaster: Send address changes to 210 USA Cycling Point, Suite 120, Colorado Springs, CO 80919. DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed by the authors and contributors of content in this magazine are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect any position or policy of USA Fencing. No author or contributor is authorized to speak herein on behalf of USA Fencing or otherwise bind USA Fencing. USA Fencing does not warrant the accuracy of, nor intend reliance upon, any fact or opinions stated herein. The rules and policies of USA Fencing are set forth in, among other things, USA Fencing’s Fencing Rules, Athlete Handbook, Operations Manual, and Bylaws. Nothing herein shall be deemed an amendment or modification of any such rule or policy, nor a binding interpretation thereof.
Cover Photo: by Serge Timacheff
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CONTRIBUTORS DEBBIE AMSBAUGH is a former national armorer. She was a member of the USFA Membership committee and the USFA Parents committee.
JEFF BUKANTZ author of Rules & Referees, was a member of the FIE Rules Commission and has been captain of multiple U.S. international teams, including the 2006 World Championships Team and the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games Teams.
DOUG NICHOLS founded the West Coast Fencing Archive in 2012 with Mark Headley to preserve the history of the sport as it happened on the Left Coast. Since then, he has written over 150 fencing stories for his website (westcoastfencingarchive.com), safeguarded dozens of endangered collections and directed two feature documentaries about famous fencing masters, with another in development. His day job has been animated film production for 25 years, and he lives and works in Portland, Oregon.
JENNY PETITE ALAN FREEDMAN is the Coordinator of Clinical Education in the Master of Athletic Training program at the University of Illinois Springfield. He has been a certified athletic trainer for 32 years and a Sports Medicine Contractor for USA Fencing since 2013. He and his wife Beth, who is also a certified athletic trainer, are the proud parents of two fencers. He can be reached at afree5@uis.edu.
(Parent’s Corner) is both a fencing mom and veteran epeeist herself, living in Nashville. A former college heptathlete, Petite looks into how to keep your children injury-free in a twopart column.
KAROLYN SZOT is a former foil fencer at Northwestern University and current coach at Silverlake Fencing. In the Women in Fencing column, Szot introduces readers to some of the women who make our sport shine.
JOHN HEIL is a clinical and sport psychologist who has been affiliated with USA Fencing since 1990 in a variety of roles including National & Olympic Team sport psychology consultant and Chair of Sports Science & Medicine. He is the founding editor of the Sport Science column. Works by Dr. Heil may be found FencingSportPsychology.com and ZenZoneDigital.com.
JUSTIN TAUSIG trained in Paris, France, for 11 years, won two World Cup medals as a six-time U.S. National Team member and was the last stu dent of Maestro Giorgio Santelli. He currently works with athletes to help hone their emo tional and mental preparedness for competi tion.
LETTER FROM THE CHAIRMAN
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e’re all tired of talking about how difficult the last two years have been. Just when it seemed like we found a way to live with COVID-19, Russia invades Ukraine.
USA Fencing is managing through the pandemic with a lot of help. That’s how good decisions are made. We leaned heavily on a terrific national office staff, received advice from medical professionals, developed closer ties with other sports organizations and the USOPC and hired a terrific interim CEO to help us rebuild our organization. More importantly, the national office staff and the Board of Directors have spent a lot more time talking with people throughout the fencing community – the fencers and volunteers who support USA Fencing without any guarantees about when tournaments would begin. We made it together.
DAVID ARIAS
There is another group that has earned our great respect and admiration. Our response to COVID-19 occurred over years and involved hundreds of decisions. When Russia invaded Ukraine, decisions were needed immediately. We had athletes competing in Egypt and Mexico, faced with enormous personal and professional decisions. How we responded is just one example of how the members of our Athletes Council have played a critically important role in nearly every key decision affecting our sport. They also serve on our Board and committees to help develop key policies like diversity and safety, and reviewing the strategic plans guiding USA Fencing over the next four years. There is no time to slow down. Preparations have already begun for the Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the search has begun for our new CEO, tournaments are being run better than ever, our athletes continue their success in international competition, we are taking steps to grow fencing through coaching education and development and our staff and Board are working hard to keep our fencers safe both on and off the strip. I am very grateful to all of you for your commitment to the sport of fencing.
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EDITOR’S NOTE
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e are living through history in the making. It is an unprecedented time for the world and for fencing.
Just as we are beginning to see the proverbial light of the day with the COVID-19 pandemic, the outbreak of war has become the second hit of a one-two punch to the planet. And both affect fencing. Our competitions have changed but are back in full operation after COVID-19. The recent Junior Olympics in Salt Lake City were a great success, including a near-normal number of junior and cadet fencers and a well-run set of 18 individual and team events. Many of the winners of the individual competitions traveled to Dubai in early April for the Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships. Our athletes of all ages are trekking the planet to World Cup and Grand Prix events, as well. While the Russia-Ukraine conflict has affected those who are able to participate, including athletes, coaches and officials, Team USA has never been stronger and continues to return with fantastic results and lots of medals. There has never been a better time for us as a fencing nation to be unified, mutually supportive and strong. Let’s leverage our wins and cultivate our opportunities in continuing to grow as a force majeure in our sport — regionally, domestically and internationally. Whatever political persuasions, opinions or other differences, recognizing ourselves as the “USA Fencing family” and standing up as a united front in sport is what it takes to leap forward. On the strip, the only thing that matters is fencing — and that is what bonds us together, no matter what.
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In times of challenge and adversity, opportunity inevitably presents itself. When I was in Salt Lake City recently for JOs, it was great to reconnect with people I hadn’t seen since before the pandemic. There was a spirit of reunion there, and I felt a renewed enthusiasm and sense of camaraderie among the ranks that felt new, vibrant and promising. It is incumbent upon us to share our common experiences and work together during this period that could mark a significant milestone in the growth and prosperity of fencing in the USA. This is a time of growth for American Fencing magazine, too. Please join me in welcoming three new contributors: Debbie Amsbaugh, Alan Freedman and Doug Nichols. They each are contributing their talents to fencing and will provide some great new content I hope will be enjoyed and appreciated by everyone in our membership. Thanks to them and our regular writers for their exceptional work and support.
Serge Timacheff Editor, American Fencing Magazine
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NIKE BALLESTRA 2
www.athleteps.com
U.S.
junior and cadet fencers converged on Salt Lake City from Feb. 18 to 21 for the 2022 Junior Olympics, featuring 18 individual and team events at the City’s sprawling Salt Palace Convention Center. This important four-day competition is typically held over Presidents’ Day weekend, and, while not associated with the Olympic Games, is the final opportunity for cadets and juniors to qualify for teams representing the USA at the Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships (this year being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from April 2-10). The 18 events comprise individual competition in foil, epee and saber for cadet and junior men and women, as well as team events for juniors in the same categories. Teams are fielded from individual fencing clubs; team events do not affect qualification for the Junior & Cadet Worlds. For a closer look, read “The Origin of the Junior Olympics,” published on the USA Fencing SoCal Division website by Jim Beihold.
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Story & Photos By Serge TImacheff
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JUNIOR OLYMPIC HISTORY. The Junior Olympics for fencing was created by the Rev. Lawrence Calhoun. While he had been neither a fencer nor a fencing coach before, he learned about the sport while he was graduate student and chaplain of the University of Notre Dame fencing team. He first taught high school fencing in 1966 at (among other places) Notre Dame High School in Niles, Illinois, after the school asked for suggestions for student activities. His fencing coaching career advanced over time, and ultimately, he became the AFLA division chairman for Illinois. During this time, he developed a vision for an official event to qualify athletes for the Junior Worlds. After a proposal published in American Fencing in 1971 and 1972, and a lot of effort to establish the event, the first Junior Olympics took place in April 1972 at Father Calhoun’s high school gym and cafeteria. The event included junior men’s foil, epee and saber as well as women’s foil, with a total of 98 entries from 25 divisions. This year’s Junior Olympics had a total of 2,572 fencer entries and 147 teams completing their events.
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TOP RESULTS FROM THE 2022 SALT LAKE CITY JUNIOR OLYMPICS
CADET MEN’S FOIL (233 competitors)
Nicholas Kim (Top Fencing Club) •Gold: Silver: Huth (Apex Fencing Academy / •JovanovicMitchell Fencing) Liam Bas (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy) •Bronze: Bronze: Conrad Lo (Massialas Foundation (M Team)) •5. Jeidus Deseranno (Renaissance Fencing Club)
CADET WOMEN’S FOIL (166 competitors) Ivy Zheng (Marx Fencing Academy) •Gold: Silver: Chin-Yi Kong (Golden State Fencing •Academy) Katerina Lung (Moe Fencing Club LLC) •Bronze: Bronze: •(M Team))Arianna Cao (Massialas Foundation
6. Roy Graham (Fencing Sports Academy, Inc. / Jovanovic Fencing)
5. Emily Jing (Marx Fencing Academy)
7. Alexander Wu (Star Fencing Academy)
7. Erin Oh (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)
8. Wesley Doran (Austin Fencers Club)
8. Victoria Pevzner (V Fencing Club / Le Club Touche)
6. Cameron Cho (Orange County Fencing Center)
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CADET
EPEE CADET MEN’S EPEE (267 competitors)
Samuel A. Imrek (Alliance Fencing Academy) •Gold: Silver: Wu (Cavalier Fencing Club) •Bronze:Joseph J. Goldfine (New York Fencing Academy) •Bronze: Ian Ankith Prasad (Alliance Fencing Academy) •5. Sergei Kudriavtcev (Alliance Fencing Academy) 6. Alexander Fray (Alliance Fencing Academy) 7. Brayden H. Gyure (International Fencers Alliance of Dallas) 8. Kent Iyoki (Northwest Fencing Center)
CADET WOMEN’S EPEE (175 competitors)
Sumin Lee (Battle Born Fencing Club) •Gold: Felicity Sebastian (Alliance Fencing Academy) •Silver: Bronze: Jakel (DC Fencers Club) •Bronze: Sophia Katie Lin (Medeo Fencing Club) •5. Elizabeth Zigalo (New York Fencing Academy) 6. Jolie Korfonta (Penta Olympic Fencing Club) 7. Zara Pehlivani (Battle Born Fencing Club) 8. Anousheh Reid (Medeo Fencing Club)
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CADET MEN’S SABER (218 competitors)
CADET
SABER
Gian Dhingra (Southern California Fencing •Gold: Academy) Edward Maklin (Dynamo Fencing Center Inc.) •Silver: Bronze: Simak (Nazlymov Fencing Foundation) •Bronze: Joseph Benjamin Kogan (Dynamo Fencing Center Inc.) •5. Cody Walker Ji (Nellya Fencers) 6. Mengke Wu (Laguna Fencing Center) 7. Jude Wilson (Cobra Fencing Club LLC) 8. Lev Ermakov (Fencing Academy of Denver)
CADET WOMEN’S SABER (152 competitors) Jenna Shoman (Manhattan Fencing Center) •Gold: Silver: Veronica Mika (Advance Fencing and Fitness •Academy) Bronze: Lola Possick (Advance Fencing and Fitness •Academy) Bronze: Aria Bevacqua (Manhattan Fencing Center) •5. Chelsea Delsoin (Advance Fencing and Fitness Academy)
6. Minna Krastev (Cardinal Fencing Club) 7. Janna Freedman (South Bay Fencing Academy) 8. Susan Wiggers (Nellya Fencers)
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JUNIOR
FOIL JUNIOR MEN’S FOIL (265 competitors)
JUNIOR WOMEN’S FOIL (191 competitors)
6. Spencer Burke (Elite International Fencers Club)
6. Ryanne T. Leslie (V Fencing Club / Fencing in the Park)
7. Edriss Ndiaye (Fencing Sports Academy, Inc.)
7. Chin-Yi Kong (Golden State Fencing Academy)
8. Caleb Jeon (Silicon Valley Fencing Center)
8. Mikayla Chusid (Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy)
Bryce Louie (LA International Fencing) •Gold: Silver: Kumbla (Silicon Valley Fencing Center) •Bronze:Samarth Enoch Xiao Fencing Club) •Bronze: Jacob Levy (Birmingham (Fresno Fencing •5. Ethan Um (Marx Fencing Academy) Academy)
Katherine Apelian (New Jersey Fencing Alliance) •Gold: Silver: N. Tan (Star Fencing Academy) •Bronze:Kaitlyn Crystal Qian (Silicon Valley Fencing Center) •Bronze: Jia P. Chen Fencing Club / Le Club Touche) •5. Savannah Locke (LA(VInternational Fencing)
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JUNIOR
EPEE
JUNIOR MEN’S EPEE (280 competitors)
JUNIOR WOMEN’S EPEE (209 competitors)
6. Yakov Shur (Academy of Fencing Masters)
6. Hadley Husisian (Fencing Sports Academy, Inc. / DC Fencers Club)
7. Alexander Fray (Alliance Fencing Academy)
7. Tierna Oxenreider (Royal Arts Fencing Academy)
8. Andrew Yurovchak (Marx Fencing Academy)
8. Elizabeth Wang (Alliance Fencing Academy)
Samuel Imrek (Alliance Fencing Academy) •Gold: Silver: Wu (Cavalier Fencing Club) •Bronze:Joseph Nowell (New York Fencing Academy) •Bronze: William Gibson Joseph (Charlotte Fencing Academy) •5. Kent Iyoki (Northwest Fencing Center)
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Ketki Ketkar (Kaizen Academy LLC) •Gold: Silver: Machulsky (Academy of Fencing Masters) •Bronze:Leehi Jessica (Medeo Fencing Club) •Bronze: Isabella Lin Chin (New York Fencing Club) •5. Yasmine Khamis (Alliance Fencing Academy)
JUNIOR MEN’S SABER (228 competitors)
Hyunseok Choi (Boston Fencing Club/Globus •Gold: Fencing Academy) Adam J. Lai (Globus Fencing Academy) •Silver: Neil Lilov (Lilov Fencing Academy) •Bronze: Bronze: Elden S. Wood (Manhattan Fencing Center) •5. Jaesun Yun (Southern California Fencing Academy) 6. Rodrigo Fernandez (Nellya Fencers) 7. Shaun M. Kim (Tim Morehouse Fencing Club) 8. William A. Holz (Premier Fencing Academy LLC)
JUNIOR WOMEN’S SABER (188 competitors)
Magda Skarbonkiewicz (Oregon Fencing Alliance) •Gold: Lola P. Possick (Advance Fencing and Fitness •Silver: Academy) Alexandra Tzou (Sheridan Fencing Academy) •Bronze: Bronze: Sophia Kovacs (Durkan Fencing Academy) •5. Jadeyn Williams (Advance Fencing and Fitness / Univ. of Notre Dame NCAA)
6. Atara Greenbaum (Univ. of Notre Dame NCAA/Alle Fencing Club) 7. Veronica Mika (Advance Fencing and Fitness Academy) 8. Erika Chin (Premier Fencing Academy LLC/Halberstadt Fencers’ Club)
JUNIOR
SABER C USAFENCING.ORG 17
JUNIOR MEN’S TEAM FOIL (26 Teams)
Gold: Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy 1 (Dayaal Singh, Kevin Bae, Peter Bruk, •Elijah Onik) ECFC (Jun Ahn, Ethan Kwon, Jeffrey Zhai) •Silver: Bronze: Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy 2 (Ethan Augustine, Liam Bas, Brandon • Gee, Jacob Lee) 4. MFC (Frederick Fogelson, Isaiah Klotz, Jack Oursler, Owen Traugot) 5. Star Cars (Samuel Du, Castor Kao, Richard Li, Alexander Wu) 6. Tim Morehouse Fencing (Nickolas Rusadze, Henry Zhang, Richard Lin) 7. SVF (Julian Detering, Yaroslav Muruhin, Samuel Oh, Aleksey Valouev) 8. Fencing Sports Academy (Roy Graham, David Knizhnik, Michael Lin)
JUNIOR WOMEN’S TEAM FOIL (8 Teams)
Golden State Fencing Academy (Gracie Cho, Sabrina Cho, Olivia Kong, •Gold: Shanon Luu) Silver: Team Maximum/Maximum Fencing Club (Skylar Knight, Dana Korol, Neta •Korol, Hikaru Takagi) Bronze: Just Fence/Fencers Club Inc. (Kimberly Jang, Lu Jia (Lucy) Liao, • Anice Orvananos) 4. Silicon Valley Fencing Center 5. Gutkovskiy Fencing Academy 2 6. Elite International Fencers Club 7. Rain City Fencing Center 8. Northwest Fencing Center
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JUNIOR
TEAM FOIL
JUNIOR MEN’S TEAM EPEE (37 Teams)
Alliance Fencing Academy 1 (Alexander Fray, Samuel Imrek, Alexander Liu, •Gold: Rishi Shiv) Cavalier (Owen Jin, Jonathan Wu, Joseph Wu) •Silver: Bronze:TeamK (Shane Grayson, Imran Zakariyya Latif, Max Zhu) •4. Alliance FencingFencers Academy 2 (Philip Kang, Maximilian Popovici, Ankith Prasad, Peyton Young)
5. BBFC Gold (Matthew Dao, Connor Jeong, Riley Robinson, Nolan Yumiaco) 6. EFA-1 (Ryan Jeyoon, Jack Kropp, Daniel Lee, Shwan Lee) 7. Duke City Fencing (Reilly Brislawn, David Westphal, Jackson Richards, Izeyah Longshore) 8. Medeo Lite Plus Max Z. Shen (Daniel Gao, Torata Mishima Max Shen)
JUNIOR WOMEN’S TEAM EPEE (28 Teams)
Golden NYFA 1(Isabella Chin, Mia Smotritsky, Anna Temiryaev, Christina Watrall) •Gold: Silver: 1 (Audrey Chu, Natalie Brooke Gebala, Priscilla Leang, Leehi Machulsky) •Bronze:AFM Alliance •Wang, Karen Wang)Fencing Academy 1 (Yasmine Khamis, Michelle Lee, Elizabeth 4. Alliance Fencing Academy 2 (Chrisina Liu, Lauren (Lulu) McCutchen, Anya Mehrotra, Tanishka Padhye) 5. Medeo Fencing Club (Alexandra Drovetsky, Sharika Gajjala, Amy Mao)
JUNIOR
TEAM EPEE
6. Swords Shenanigans (Zoe Kim, Natalie Leung, Tallulah Nguyen, Nora Wang) 7. BBFC Old + Sumin (Eunice Choi, Sumin Lee, Kaylin Nguyen) 8. Windy City Fencing (Katherine Alexandrov, Amanda O’Donnell, Syd Tyler)
JUNIOR MEN’S TEAM SABER (30 Teams)
Gold: Phoenix Fencing Academy #1 (William Barber, Braydon Bolton, Daniel Noble, •Hayden Le) Silver: Spartak Callahan, Anthony Jiang, Ilan Jinich, Samuel Zubatiy) •Bronze: SoCalFA(Jaden #1 (Gian •4. Boston Fencing Club Dhingra, Kevin Sohn, Justin Tann, Jaesun Yun) 5. Globus 6. Fencing Academy of Denver 7. Salle Auriol Seattle 8. MFC Team
JUNIOR
TEAM SABER
JUNIOR WOMEN’S TEAM SABER (18 Teams)
AFFA (Chelsea Delsoin, Madison Four-Garcia, Veronica Mika, Lola Possick) •Gold: Silver: Nellya Fencers (Ella Greenbaum, Nithya Guthikonda, Kunling Tong, Chloe •Williams) Bronze: Zeta Ladies (Victoria Gorman, Nisha Hild, Elaine Lu, Chloe Szeto) •4. Team Spartak (Ellen Xu, Maria Mozhaeva, Xiofan Zuo, Diana Gomes) 5. Boston Fencing Club (Leah Blum, Hannah Lee, Indra Nayak, Emma Su) 6. Halberstadt Hornets (Mira Vestel, Zara Fearns, Angelina Tse) 7. PDX Fencing (Jaslene Lim, Jovine Lim, Megumi Oishi, Hana Sadik) 8. Fencing Academy of Denver 1 (Rachel Buhay, Kennedy Hurst, Mia Novick)
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RULES & REFEREES
BY JEFF BUKANTZ
GOOD EPEE REFEREEING
MATTERS
A
fter 47 years of being a referee, I would like to make a confession. I always wanted to be a foil referee and strived to be a great one. I embraced the challenge of becoming a good saber referee and dealing with the omnipresent hysteria indigenous to that weapon. But candidly, I never really wanted to referee epee. I enjoyed the rhythm of making right-of-way calls, one after another, in foil and saber. I didn’t enjoy the lack of rhythm in epee, let alone the need to fully concentrate when very few calls had to be made. But, as refereeing became a major part of my life at an early age, it was inevitable I would get to do my fair share of epee, whether I liked it or not. I knew the last thing I wanted was to have my reputation as a referee tarnished because I didn’t to a good job in, gulp, epee.
foil. In 1985 in Arnhem, the Netherlands, while refereeing at my first of four consecutive Junior Worlds, I passed my FIE saber exam. The late Chaba Pallaghy, then a member of the FIE Executive Committee, came up to me and said in his staccato Hungarian accent, “Bukantz, now you must get your epee license, as well.” I immediately said, “Uncle Chaba, I’ll stick to foil and saber. Let the epee-only refs referee epee.” Pallaghy retorted, “Bukantz, listen to me, get your epee license, as it will make you more assignable.” Although I was young and very respectful, as Chaba was my father Dan’s good friend, I was also headstrong and said, “Uncle Chaba, I’m not taking my epee exam, sorry.”
My first foray into high-level epee occurred when I was 21 at the 1978 NCAA Championships at the University of Wisconsin at Parkside. I was assigned to the three-way fence-off, which was won by Bjorn Vaggo of Notre Dame over Chris Hanson of Penn and Peter Schifrin of San Jose State.
When my new FIE license arrived in the mail, not only was I a “B” in foil and saber, but in epee, as well! Pallaghy had given me the epee rating as a punishment! Yes, this actually happened. I might be the only referee in the history of the FIE to receive an international rating as a punishment.
As I proudly walked off the strip, feeling I had aced my first big epee assignment, I went to head referee Jack Keane and asked, “Jack, how did I do?”
The very next year, after just missing the world team to Sofia, Bulgaria, in 1986, I was assigned to referee there. I would very quickly learn the plight of the epee referee would be neither bed of roses nor a pleasure cruise.
With a grin from ear-to-ear, Keane replied, “Bukantz, you didn’t miss a shim!” Well, Keane was right. In that very high-level three-way fence-off, I didn’t have to make any real calls. I wondered if epee was always like that and akin to Peggy Lee’s song, “Is That All There Is?” Whatever the case, it further reinforced my feeling I really didn’t care for epee. As I embarked on my international refereeing journey, I was focused on just foil and saber. In 1983, while competing at the Worlds in Vienna, I also passed my FIE refereeing exam in
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At my first senior worlds, I would be assigned in all three weapons. In foil, it was smooth sailing. I was assigned to a pool of dry saber. For those of you too young to know, this meant two side judges on each side determined the validity of the hit and the referee determined the right-of-way. Let me stipulate while I had somewhat of a grasp of saber, it was definitely not my specialty. OK, Emik Kaidanov, you can stop laughing now! That I made it through that pool alive is more a testament to some type of miracle than to my saber ability at the time.
But, in Sofia, the challenge would come in, of all weapons, epee. In the first round, my pool wouldn’t be off in some corner of the enormous hall, but rather on the raised finals strip. This added to my anxiety, as if something happened, everyone would see it. Sure enough, about halfway through the pool there was a bout between a Swiss and a Cuban fencer. The Cuban attacked but his point appeared to be about a foot short from the Swiss fencer. However, the light went on. Without hesitation, the Swiss fencer started jumping up and down and screamed, “Non, monsieur, ne pas possible!” He was right, the touch was not possible. I immediately called for the FIE SEMI (Technical) delegates present, our own Ted Li and Goran Abrahamson of Sweden. In 20 minutes, they came back and informed me the Cuban had altered the tubing of the two wires to make the trigger. Now came my indoctrination to FIE refereeing. The FIE Arbitrage delegate came up to me and said I alone would have to decide if this infraction warranted exclusion from just the individual competition, or the entire tournament. I took a breath, reasoned that other than physically assaulting a fencer or referee, cheating was probably the next worst offense, and, with my heart pounding, said, “Exclusion por le tornoi.” I finally exhaled when the smiling FIE delegate said, “good choice.” Amazingly, this incredibly rare type of cheating occurred just a few bouts into my very first international epee competition. I officiated in the 2000 Junior World finals without a hitch or even a close call. But I also served as a side judge in the 1996 Olympic men’s epee team gold medal match and was involved in a call when a fencer hit himself in his own thigh!
The epee referee knows something crazy will eventually occur, even if not much is happening most of the time. As the late George Kolombatovich used to say, “An epee referee can daydream for 95% of the time; but, if not alert for the other 5%, that referee will be badly exposed." Although I’d rather have been anywhere but officiating epee, I learned it had to be always taken seriously. The reason I went into my background was not for self-aggrandizement, but rather to illustrate not only do I fully respect the plight of the epee referee, I also recognize the importance of being a competent epee referee. In the following critique, in no way am I painting all epee referees with a broad brushstroke. Rather, I am shining a spotlight on often ignored areas of epee refereeing which deserve the full attention of all epee referees..
CHECKING THE WEIGHT. Why do some referees test the weight while holding the epee in a tilted manner that is anything but perpendicular to the strip? Candidly, a big part of an epee referee’s job revolves around housekeeping at the outset of the bout. And, while it really doesn’t seem like a big deal to check the weight, and shouldn’t be a big deal, it most certainly does become an issue if the referee doesn’t ascertain if the spring can push back 750 grams. The only way the referee can be certain is when administering the test while holding the epee vertically, perpendicular to the strip. Any deviation from this may reduce the amount of pressure needed to push back the 750-gram weight. When I reached out to my go-to person on stuff like this, David Sapery, he in turn consulted fencer and mathematics Ph.D. Jeff Snider. According to Snider, checking the weight while holding the epee at an angle to perpendicular
can influence the amount of pressure needed to push the weight back up.
the barrel was loose prior to administering the test to see if the weapon was working.
While Snider said the friction is too hard to calculate without material data, a 20% deviance from perpendicular could cause just 705 grams to push the weight back up.
I have watched incredulously as many highly rated epee referees, when testing a weapon, take the epee, pop their palm on the point, see the light on the machine, proudly feel they have done their job, but never even considered checking the barrel.
When I asked a highly ranked epee fencer if fencers know which referees lazily test the weight while holding the epee at a significant angle from perpendicular, he said absolutely. When I asked if fencers would ever take the risk of bringing an epee with a light spring when these referees are on their strip, he said, “Let’s just say there are certain times when the risk is worth taking.”
Whatever the case, stop being lazy and hold the epee perpendicular to the strip!
CHECKING THE BARREL DURING A MID-BOUT CHECK. When I ask young referees why the official must check to see if the barrel is loose when a fencer requests a check of the weapon after being hit, most look at me with blank stares. In fact, I’ll bet a significant percentage of those reading this column have no idea. The reason for this protocol is the same reason as to why the rulebook is as thick as it is. It is because somewhere along the line fencers found a way to gain an advantage through cheating or just exploiting a loophole in the rules. In epee, a fencer who was touched could turn towards the end of the strip, away from the referee’s sight, and twist the barrel in a manner that could break the wires. The subsequent test would render a non-working epee and result in the annulment of the opponent’s valid touch. That nefarious tactic was eliminated when it was mandated that the referee check to see if
Check the barrel! CALLING “HALT” ON A BELL CLASH. Full disclosure here, I was refereeing epee for 25 years before I fully understood what to do when the fencers clashed bells. All I knew was if I called halt for the bell clash, I would get yelled at in some foreign language on one side. And, if I didn’t call halt for a bell clash, I’d get yelled at in some foreign language on the other side! Whenever I would ask the most knowledgeable and experience referees here, I would get either a non-answer or conflicting answers. It was frustrating, as there was simply a lack of clarity on this issue. When I was elected to the FIE Rules Commission in 2000, I was on a mission to finally get an official ruling on the bell clash. As it turned out, the president of the commission was Steve Higginson from Great Britain, who happened to teach French for a living. I asked Higginson what the rules said regarding the bell clash and whether a halt should be called. As Higginson was also an epee fencer and referee, he didn’t hesitate. He said there is nothing in the rules, and he checked both the French and English rulebooks, which state a clash of the bells should require the referee to call halt. Mission accomplished, albeit a quarter of a century into my career too late. The reason I mention this is because I still see
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RULES & REFEREES
inconsistency among the referees. While this is to be expected with the neophytes, it also exists with experienced epee referees.
Unless there is a train crash and a fencer might have gotten hurt, there should be no halt called on the clashing of bells. And last, but definitely not least, two personal pet peeves of mine:
LEFTY ON THE LEFT. The problem with referees not placing the lefty on the left started at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I was right there when it began, as I was serving as team captain. In the men’s saber team finals, we were on the right side and France on the left. Our team consisted of Keeth Smart, Jason Rogers, James Williams and Tim Morehouse, the first three being left-handed. The FIE made the call not to have the lefthanded fencers from our team go to the left side. The sound reasoning was it would be confusing to the television audience to see fencers switching sides during the match. As there were replay and side judges, it really wasn’t an issue. When I returned to the States, I was told a thread on a certain fencing chatroom was saying that the lefty on the left rule had been eliminated. And, to make matters worse, comments from a member of the Fencing Officials Commission (now known as the Referees Commission) supported that false claim. That’s why I called that chatroom “the cesspool.” The “lefty on the left” rule had been eliminated only for team matches, and USA Fencing eventually followed suit. But it still exists for individual competitions. Yet, in the 14 years since Beijing, I have seen
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BY JEFF BUKANTZ
a steady rise in referees ignoring this rule. I’ve seen it at local competitions, collegiate competitions and even at NACS. Some of the highestrated refs ignore this rule. And it makes no sense. The lefty on the left rule is there for a good reason. In a matchup between a lefty and a righty, it allows the referee to see the back arm of both fencers. In foil, that back arm can be used for covering, and in epee it can be utilized for blocking the opponent’s weapon. Why would a referee intentionally ignore a rule that provides for doing the best-possible job for the fencers? When confronted, I had a 1-rated epee referee tell me that “it doesn’t matter” which side the fencers are on. And when I ask younger referees about why they don’t put the lefty on the left, they reply they saw top referees not enforce it, so they didn’t think it was a big deal. And, just for the record, the lefty should go on the left in saber, as well, for a couple of reasons. First, most touches are scored on the inside target, not on the back. As a referee, wouldn’t you rather see the lefty-righty matchup so you can observe the target being hit most often? And, with the most recent change to the timing, there has been a rise in “mal parre” actions. Wouldn’t a referee increase the odds of getting those calls right if they can see the hit land and the lights illuminate at the same time?
In all three weapons, the lefty goes on the left! ILLEGAL AND DANGEROUS EXTERNAL BRACES. Rule m.25 states the following: It must not be possible for the opponent to be obstructed or injured by the equipment,
nor for the opponent’s weapon to be caught up in or deflected by the equipment which, in consequence, must have neither buckles nor openings in which the opponent’s point may be caught up – except accidentally – and thus held or deflected. For reasons that defy credulity, this safety rule is almost never enforced in any of the weapons. BUT, in epee, this is particularly egregious, as an external ankle brace is in the line of fire of target area. And, yes, there is precedent for an epee getting caught in an ankle brace and snapping into pieces as a result. Why would any referee intentionally refuse to enforce this safety rule? Although I feel I’m a lone wolf in enforcing this rule, Patrick Webster, chair of the Domestic Development Committee of the Referees Commission, concurred that, “No external braces that can catch a point. They must, at the very least, be covered.”
In all three weapons, especially epee, no external braces! Contrary to conventional lack of wisdom that anyone can referee epee, good epee refereeing should never be taken for granted. And what I’ve addressed here are some of the components that go into good epee refereeing.
SPORTS MEDICINE Q&A
BY ALAN FREEDMAN
HYDRATION ONE OF THE KEYS TO OPTIMAL PERFORMANCE
A
thletes often look for ways to safely improve their performance. Proper hydration, along with adequate intake of carbohydrates and proteins, is a simple way of optimizing performance. Appropriate and consistent hydration is important for the dissipation of elevated body heat from exercise. This rise in body temperature triggers the sweating mechanism. Sweat cools your body as the perspiration moisture evaporates from your skin. Fencers may be more prone to excessive sweating because of the number of layers they wear and the non-breathability of the materials in the equipment. During activity, the demand for cooling will compete with your cardiovascular system’s demand for the efficient delivery of oxygenated blood and nutrients to working muscles. As dehydration occurs, the thermoregulatory and cardiovascular systems are stressed, limiting their efficiency and impairing performance. An athlete who sweats heavily can easily dehydrate, leading to negative physiologic outcomes. As little as a 2% loss in body weight will impair performance (Tables 1 and 2). Table 1. How Dehydration Affects Performance
% OF WEIGHT LOSS
HOW PERFORMANCE IS AFFECTED
1
Ability to perform skills is decreased
2
Thirst, generalized discomfort, loss of appetite
3
Dry mouth; decreased urine output
4
Ability to perform work decreased 20 – 30%
5
Headache, cramping, hard time concentrating
6
Increased heart rate, increased respiration, numbness and tingling in extremities
7
Potential collapse, especially if combined with heat and exertion
Table 2. The connection between hydration status and changes in body weight
HYDRATION STATUS
CHANGE IN BODY WEIGHT
Well hydrated
-1 to 1%
Mild dehydration
-1 to -3%
Significant dehydration
-3 to -5%
Serious dehydration
> 5% loss
Regulating appropriate hydration is imperative for peak performance. One way to monitor hydration status is to observe the color of your urine (Table 3). The lighter the color and odor being minimal is an indicator of ideal hydration. Darker urine along with stronger odors is indicative of increasing dehydration.
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SPORTS MEDICINE Q&A
BY ALAN FREEDMAN
Table 3. What the color of your urine tells you.
COLOR OF URINE
INTERPRETATION
Clear
Good hydration; possible overhydration
Pale Yellow
Good hydration
Bright Yellow
Mild to moderate dehydration
Orange, Amber
Moderate to severe dehydration
Brown, Tea-colored
Severe dehydration
Weight loss is another indicator that can monitor hydration status during activity. Weighing before and after activity helps to monitor the amount of fluid loss through sweating. At an athletic event, this is usually not feasible. It is important to understand that exercise inhibits the thirst mechanism. Once one becomes aware of this indication, dehydration is already in process. This promotes the need to drink early and often before thirst kicks in. Appropriate hydration can be challenging. What are the amounts and types of fluids that need to be consumed? How does the timing of fluid ingestion factor into the equation. We have all asked these questions at one time or another while participating in a variety of activities. Like training for sport, the body needs to be trained on what it must process. Simply drinking more on the day of a competition will have little effect on, and may actually impair, performance. The process of hydration needs to begin several days before a competition and should actually be part of the daily training routine similar to stretching, drills, and bouting. On the day of a competition, attention needs to be directed on what and when you are drinking. Having a consistent routine will usually pay dividends. Table 4 gives general guidelines for what can be done before, during and after events. Table 4. Hydration Recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine
BEFORE ACTIVITY • Be aware of your hydration status to determine your needs. If possible, weigh yourself prior • At least 4 hours before activity, drink 16 – 20 fluid ounces of water or sports beverage • 10 – 15 minutes before activity, drink 8 – 12 ounces of water
DURING ACTIVITY • For activities < 1 hour in duration, drink 3 – 8 ounces of water every 15 – 20 minutes • For activities > 1 hour in duration, drink 3 – 8 ounces of a sports drink containing 5 – 8% carbohydrate with electrolytes every 15 – 20 minutes • Avoid drinking > 1 quart (32 ounces) per hour
AFTER ACTIVITY • Weigh yourself after and check your urine color • For every lost pound of weight, drink 20 – 24 ounces of water or sports drink
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SPORTS MEDICINE Q&A
BY ALAN FREEDMAN
Utilizing hydration as a performance catalyst requires a balance between consuming the right amounts and types of fluids before, during and after activity. The goal of hydrating before an event is to start the activity with optimal electrolyte levels. Ideally, begin drinking approximately four hours prior to the start of the event. Early morning practices and events make this approach problematic. Hydrating the evening prior before and the morning of activity can alleviate this conflict. Remember, even mild dehydration may adversely affect performance. During the event, the goal of hydrating is to prevent excessive fluid loss. Greater than 2% of your body weight loss, will result in an imbalance of electrolytes. Elevated heart rate, increased rate of perceived exertion, decreased performance, concentrated urine, infrequent urination and loss of appetite are all signs of dehydration. To make specific recommendations is difficult due to the variability of individuals. Factors such as body weight, level of conditioning, altitude, dietary habits, culture and genetics will impact hydration needs.. When in doubt, it is best to focus on water. If you plan to consume an electrolyte drink such as Gatorade©, Powerade©, Pickle Juice©, Pedialyte© or coconut water, try to avoid using them for the first time during competition as these beverages may cause gastrointestinal distress. There could be some trial and error when trying different products in advance of events to see which one has the most benefit. Table 5 provides some considerations when adding sports drinks to a hydration plan so informed decisions can be made.
Table 5. Considerations for Choosing a Sports Drink
TRAIT
CONSIDERATIONS
Type of Fuel
• Contains carbohydrates such as glucose, sucrose, maltodextrin • Consume 2 -3 ounces per hour → usually found in approximately 32 ounces of a 6 – 8% carbohydrate beverage
Electrolytes
• Contains sodium (70 – 165 mg) and potassium (30 – 75 mg) per approximately 8 ounces to replace sweat electrolyte loss when engaged in activities longer that 3-4 hours
Rapid Absorption Taste
• For optimal absorption and gastric emptying, the drink should be 6 – 8% carbohydrate • Flavor makes it more desirable to drink • Flavor is enhanced by electrolytes
Regular consumption of meals and beverages can avoid dehydration and replenish your energy stores effectively. If any level of dehydration is detected, consume approximately 25 ounces of fluid for every two pounds of body weight lost. The types of fluid selected will depend upon the duration of the event and personal preference. REFERENCES 1. Casa DJ, DeMartini JK, Bergeron MF, Csillan D, Eichner ER, Lopez RM, Ferrara MS, Miller KC, O’Connor F, Sawka MN, and Yeargin SW. National Athletic Trainers’ Association Position Statement: Exertional Heat Illnesses, Journal of Athletic Training 50(9): 986-1000, 2015. 2. Farrell PA, Joyner MJ, and Caiozzo VJ. ACSM’s Advanced Exercise Physiology (2nd Edition). American College of Sports Medicine: Baltimore, MD. 2012. 3. Insel P, Ross D, McMahon K, and Bernstein M. Discovering Nutrition (Sixth Edition). Jones and Barlett: Burlington, MA. 2019. 4. Kenny WL, Wilmore JH, and Costill DL. Physiology for Sport and Exercise (Sixth Edition). Human Kinetics: Champaign, IL. 2015. 5. McArdle WD, Katch FI, and Katch VL. Sport and Exercise Nutrition (Fourth Edition). Lippincott Williams & Wilkens: Baltimore, MD. 2012.
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SPORTS SCIENCE
BY JUSTIN TAUSIG
FIGHT WITH YOUR OPPONENT
NOT THE REFEREE! O
ne conversation often overheard at competitions is when a fencer complains to a teammate about how a referee cost them a match. They bemoan the poor quality of the referee and how they didn’t call the actions “correctly.” There are two distinct problems with this conclusion: The first problem with this line of thinking is it takes away the fencer’s perceived agency to do anything to help change the outcome into a more positive one. Following this train of thought, if the fencer doesn’t have any agency, then there is no reason to practice or take lessons. Just show up and hope the referee allows you to win. Read that again and understand how foolish it sounds. The second problem is it doesn’t help to put the result at the feet of the referee. Imagine the following: In pools, the match is tied at 4-4 when you execute a beat-attack. Both lights go on and the referee calls it as a parry-riposte for your opponent, so you lose the match. The referee’s ruling cost you the match, right? Not necessarily! In this scenario, when its 4-4, if you execute an action where both lights go on you have given the referee the power to decide the outcome of the match. Single-light actions make much more sense since that turns the referee into a scorekeeper. The referee decides the conditions under which the bout is fenced. If a beat-attack is judged as a parry-riposte, you have two choices: you can continue to execute beat-attacks in the hope the referee with start calling it the way YOU think the action should be called, or you can change what you’re doing and avoid actions that could be interpreted in that manner. Only one of these options is useful for you! (Hint: it’s the second one!)
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SPORTS SCIENCE
BY JUSTIN TAUSIG
When you see the referee as a secondary opponent, then your focus is divided between them and your actual opponent in a given match. The referee is not your enemy unless you choose to make them so. If you don’t understand a particular call, it is perfectly acceptable to ask for clarification in a respectful manner. “Excuse me, but was there blade contact before the hit?” What causes negative tension is when the fencer/coach/ parent screams at the referee about an action being called “incorrectly.” What further escalates this type of situation is when the fencer turns to their coach/parent/teammate and asks, “Was that my touch?” They agree, wanting to see things from their fencer’s point of view. All this does is worsen the situation, since you are just insulting the referee and making the fencer think they are correct in responding emotionally, rather than tactically. The match wasn’t lost at 4-4 on a call you with which you may disagree. The match was lost when you fenced in a sloppy fashion earlier in the bout and gave away a few touches or took your opponent lightly and didn’t start the bout ready to fight hard for every touch. If you’re leading 4-2 and the referee makes a call against you, there is still time to win the bout. At 4-4, anything can happen. Focus your attention on setting up actions and executing them!
Training Materials by Dr. John Heil & Associates
Competition Master Plan Stripside Coaching: A Training Manual with Paul Soter
Mind-Body Relaxation: For Fencing with Chip Magdelinskas Available for streaming at
Fencing Sport Psychology (https://fencingsportpsychology.com/) DVD’s available from
Absolute Fencing Gear jheil@PsychHealthRoanoke.com
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CHARLES BOTHNER, LEFT, WITH HIS NYAC TEAMMATES, RUDOLPH HAUBOLD AND GEORGES KAVANAUGH.
C h a rle s G . B o t h n e r
O ne - of-a-K i n d C h a mpion BY DOUG NICHOLS
Visiting the Museum of American Fencing run by Andy Shaw in Shreveport, Louisiana, should be on your bucket list, if it isn’t already. Andy is the official historian of USA Fencing and you’ve probably seen him at various national events in his wild suits with pinstripes going the wrong way, etc. Don’t let the suits fool you; Andy is a national treasure for our sport due to the wealth of stories in his head and the astounding collection he has amassed at his club/museum. When asked to begin, with this story, a recurring column about fencing history for this magazine, going to Andy for source material was a given. Indeed, an imperative. And having seen firsthand Andy’s collection, my thoughts immediately zeroed-in on a set of medals and the story behind them. Charles George Bothner (pronounced: BOAT-ner) stands alone in the annals of U.S. fencing champions. He is the only fencer to win all three national titles in foil, epee and
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saber in a single year since organized championships began in 1888. These took place first under the auspices of the Amateur Athletic Union and then the Amateur Fencers League of America, which took over running the Championships in 1892. Several people have won two championships in a single year, including Bothner, who won epee and saber in 1895 and foil and epee in 1904. But in 1897, at the age of 35, Bothner won the trifecta, taking all three events. In all, he won U.S. national individual titles 11 times — foil and saber four each and epee three times, ranging from 1891 to 1905. Bothner originally represented the Pastime Athletic Club in New York, now long gone. While there, in addition to fencing medals, he also scored victories in shotput and hammer throw events. But when his fencing coach, Charles Koch, moved to the New York Athletic Club, Bothner went with him.
The man himself is something of an enigma. He was not, like several his fencing peers of the time, from “high society” or simply a millionaire. Many of the early champions in the sport, able to devote hours to a “leisure” activity, stood high among the leading business and social figures of the era. Bothner, a married father of several children, worked in the family business of making pianos. He did, however, come from a family of athletes. His younger brother, George, was a famous wrestler from a young age who also won numerous championship titles. Later in life he ran a private gymnasium, teaching wrestling to professionals and amateurs alike, including actors John and Lionel Barrymore.
And that’s how we get back to Andy Shaw. When Andy was appointed to the position of official historian for USA Fencing, he was handed a title and an empty collection. Through a series of unfortunate events, what material the national office had maintained through previous historians did not, and has not, made its way to Andy. The reason I chose the story of Charles Bothner as my first article in this new column, a planned ongoing series of articles about fencing history, is that it thoroughly illustrates the tenacity with which Andy approaches solving the puzzles thrown his way related to fencing history.
Bothner’s triple championship in 1897 came about by his defeating most of the Charles Bothner was a well-known champion notable champions of the earliest days of in our sport. If you look at the deluxe editions of the AFLA, including some of the first U.S. old AFLA rulebooks, his name appears in the Olympic fencing athletes like Charles Tarecords that used to be printed in the appenditham and Albertson Van Zo Post. It’s ces. But the name of the man alone didn’t tell quite possible Bothner, also, could have Andy nearly enough about who he was, what been in consideration, or even chosen he did for a living, where he lived or any of the for, an Olympic berth, but he may have other tidbits an inquiring mind might wish to know had neither the time nor resources to about someone whose history mostly occurred devote to the training and travel. The in a previous century. For context, Andy was number of competitors at the U.S. Nadoing this research before Ancestry.com and tional Championships during these early most other internet-based sleuthing tools were years was certainly small compared with available. To track down a relation to fencing what we see today. However, lest you champion Charles Bothner, Andy sent a letter imagine this would make the winning to every “Bothner” for whom there was an adof the title a breeze for the hot hand of dress in the phonebook in three states: New the day compared with today, let me York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. That’s just mention Bothner won the foil title in a lot of stamps. He even received a response, 1897 by a total score of 388 ½ against from Charles G. Bothner III. Albertson Van Zo Post’s second place ANDY SHAW, OFFICIAL HISTORIAN FOR USA FENCING. total of 388½. I’m not making that up; Because of his thoroughgoing research into it’s in The New York Times. Scoring and the people, stories and artifacts related to our officiating was, I need not mention, somewhat different then. I’ll have to sport, Andy also had his finger on the pulse of the international sports save that explanation for another column. Maybe two columns. Either memorabilia market to find out about an auction taking place in New way, I’ll need to have a long conversation with Andy first. Zealand. It was from there he acquired for his museum the three national championship medals won by Bothner in 1897. How they got For the most part, Bothner’s competitive career ended at the National there is a mystery, as the family had a generational disconnect after a Championships in 1906. The morning of the event in April of 1906, divorce and the early death of Charles G. Bothner Jr. But the medals he badly injured his leg in a fall from a carriage and, by all accounts, remain and are in the hands of the perfect caretaker. could barely stand for the competition — which, yes, of course, he still attempted, winning just a couple of matches. He never again Next time you see Andy, you might want to thank him. He deserves it. competed in any individual event but did help the NYAC win the first two men’s epee team titles in 1906 and 1907. His life beyond the fencing strip did not make the headlines like his competitive success, so after 1907, the paper trail for his life goes cold. He seems to have transitioned from piano maker to becoming a U.S. special agent for All photos courtesy of Andy Shaw, the Customs department at some point, if ancestry records are to be The Museum of American Fencing, Shreveport, Louisiana. believed. Beyond that, much of his life story has been lost.
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By Debbie Amsbaugh
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“Not Acceptable, not acceptable, not acceptable.” That was Terry Hayes’ response when she learned in 2017 that she had primary cerebellar degeneration, an incurable and progressive brain disease that put her in a wheelchair. Instead of being overwhelmed by the diagnosis, she dove back into sports, attending a wheelchair camp for women where she tried rock climbing, aerial yoga, horseback riding and several other sports. Nothing hit the mark for her until she saw parafencing online from the Rio Paralympics. She has gone from a novice fencer in 2017 to a four-event parafencer in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in 2021. What was it about Lauryn DeLuca’s fencing in the 2016 Games that prompted you to fence? Hayes: It was so fast paced and exciting. It was like ballet and a battle at the same time. Both women were giving it their all and pushing as hard as they could for each touch. The athletic talent was incredible. Since they were both locked in their chairs and on the frame, there was no way to escape from your opponent’s actions other than retreating way back. Who doesn’t want to play with swords and stab someone? I was all in. How did you get started? Hayes: I got in touch with Ginny Boydston with the USA Fencing Parafencing program. She told me how to get started. I called Southwest Florida Fencing Academy and spoke with Charlie Johnson, the head coach. He told me beginners come on Monday nights and I should come then. I said I was in a wheelchair. He replied he had never coached anyone in a wheelchair. I said I had never fenced. To my surprise, he said, “This should work out fine.” The next night I started lessons in foil.
HAYES HIKES IN THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS IN 2016. PHOTO BY: FREDA ROUTT
What would you like people to know about parafencing? Hayes: Parafencing uses basically the same rules as stand-up fencing. We do have to set distance between the parafencers, which is not done for stand ups. We have a line on the back of our lame or jacket that needs to line up with a line on our wheelchair back. It’s used to set distance to insure no one is leaning to gain an advantage. In epee, we wear a large lame skirt over everything from the waist down and this is the off-target area. Since parafencing was not shown on TV from the Toyko Paralympics, most people have never watched it. The Paralympics are parallel to the Olympics. In both, elite athletes compete in a variety of sports, just in a different way. We go through a qualifying path on the World Cup circuit to earn points to qualify. It’s definitely not an easier path, just a different one.
HAYES HANGS OUT AT THE U.S. OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTER IN 2021 BEFORE LEAVING FOR TOKYO.
In Tokyo, you competed in individual saber and epee as well as team foil and team epee. They are all so different. How do you train for all three? Hayes: Different clothes, different weapons, different strategies and rules can get to be a little much. I prefer not to switch weapons while at a lesson. One weapon per day with regular stretches and warmup that stay the same no matter what weapon I am fencing. At camp sometimes, we will change weapons throughout the day and so I need to adjust my frame of mind and stay focused. Do you have a competitive ritual? Hayes: I lay out my uniform in a certain way. Socks on first, shoes on last. Fill up my water bottles with fruit punch G2 and tape-up my hand and fingers. Stretch and go through a series of the five seating positions in my fencing wheelchair. Warm up with my coach, self-positive talk, visualization and off I go! What was your worst fencing moment? Hayes: While fencing at a World Cup, I was up against a parafencer from China that was very experienced and highly ranked. She beat me 5-0 in less than a minute. She was lightning fast and extremely accurate. It took me longer to get racked up in the frame than it did for the bout.
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How did that impact you? Hayes: I realized as soon as I left the piste that I needed to move more in my chair. I also knew I had to put this bout behind me and get ready for my next bout. I knew I could do better. What was the lesson learned? Hayes: Move, move and keep moving. No movement equals no score on my side. I reviewed the video that my wife, Freda, had taken and took notes. I talked with my coaches and worked harder on moving quickly in my chair. Drills, drills and more drills.
HAYES IN SALT LAKE CITY WITH HER SABER COACH, DR. BRENT MYERS. PHOTO BY: FREDA ROUTT
What has been your favorite tournament? Hayes: Definitely, the Tokyo Paralympic Games. It was the biggest competition of my life with the very best athletes in the world. Everyone was there to win, so the competition was incredible. Just being in the Village, attending the opening ceremonies, hearing my name announced over the loudspeaker in the venue was unbelievable. I was always fascinated by the Olympics. My sister and I would play Olympics in our backyard after watching the Summer Olympics. In 2002, I was a torch bearer for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. I had always dreamed of being an Olympic athlete. I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real. Competing on the North American Cup and World Cup circuits is neither easy nor inexpensive. How do you manage? Hayes: Excellent support from home. My wife, my friends and family all provide support and encouragement. Fencing and international travel are very expensive. I set up a GoFundMe account and that was helpful. As an Army veteran, I was able to take advantage of the Stipend 4 Vets program and that provided some additional funding. Operation Rebound, a part of the Challenged Athletes Foundation, helped me with funds for some national competitions. USA Fencing and Toyota also provided assistance. My saber coach donated his SkyMiles so Freda and I could travel to World Cups. Our neighborhood, Carefree, was very supportive. They bought “Team Hayes” T-shirts. They met me at the airport when I came home from Tokyo. It was a huge celebration, and I will never forget it. My coach, Charlie Johnson, was also there with a dozen red roses.
HAYES AT THE VETERANS WHEELCHAIR GAMES IN 2017, WHERE SHE WON SIX GOLD MEDALS — FIVE IN SWIMMING AND ONE IN SLALOM. PHOTO BY: FREDA ROUTT
What did training for Tokyo look like with COVID-19? Hayes: Leading-up to Tokyo my training was very intense. Once the lockdown occurred, we did twice-a-week training with our national coach, Mickey Zelikovic over Zoom along with our team manager, Ginny Boydston. I didn’t think Zoom would work for lessons, but it worked great. We were able to fine-tune exact hand positions and repeat, repeat and repeat some more. Training at home included using a full-length mirror to insure proper technique and tennis ball drills. Strength training for upper body is very important in parafencing. Part of my training included rolling laps around my neighborhood to help with endurance and stamina. In March 2021 I was able to begin private in-person lessons. I attended camps at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center. We had our National Championships in July in Salt Lake City. I left there and flew directly to Colorado Springs for the last camp before Tokyo. Starting Aug. 3, I went under a two-week quarantine before I left for the Paralympic Games on Aug. 16, which was my 63rd birthday.
Note: In addition to having to adjust to COVID protocols, Ms. Hayes also underwent major surgery with a prolonged recovery, as well as recovering from a fall from her wheelchair. HAYES COMPETES AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN SOUTH KOREA. PHOTO BY: FREDA ROUTT
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What about the mental component to competition? Hayes: Parafencing is a very mental sport. You need to predict what your opponent will do before they actually do it. Then you have a nanosecond to respond. The actions are constantly changing. Doing a video review of your opponents can yield a wealth of information and help you see what techniques and strategies they use. Not Acceptable, not acceptable, not acceptable. Have you always been this determined? Hayes: Yes. When the doctor told me I had was incurable and progressive I decided right then I would not let it prevent me from doing what I wanted to do in life. It may not be the way I had planned my future, but I still had a future, and I was determined to make the best of it. I always give it my best no matter what I am doing. If something doesn’t work, I back up, reassess the situation and try something else until I accomplish my goal. Who is your biggest inspiration? Hayes: My dad. He was in the Army and fought in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and was awarded a Bronze Star. He died in 2004 from cancer due to Agent Orange. He was very encouraging to me and my sisters. He taught me to never give up, work hard and be proud of being an American. I only wish he could have gone to Tokyo and heard when they said over the loudspeaker, “Representing the United States of America, Terry Hayes.” I know he would have been so proud of me. What does fencing mean to you? Hayes: Hard work, dedication, drive and focus. It also means my parafencing family. Most parafencers travel with a parent, spouse or friend. Over the years we became very close. We share meals, equipment and get to travel all over the world together. We celebrate each other’s victories and encourage each other to do our best. In-between we keep up by texts, calls, FaceTime and Facebook.
What is a takeaway from your coaches? Hayes: Dream Big! Always give 100% in practice and competition. Leave it all on the strip. What lessons have you learned from fencing? Hayes: Life is an unknown journey. It’s filled with highs and lows and lots of average in-betweens. When something difficult or unexpected comes along, try to find a bright spot within it and move forward. Who knew a brain disease would actually help me fulfill a lifelong dream? Always look for the good. It’s there. You just might have to dig deep. What question haven’t I asked that you wish I would have? Hayes: Tell me about being among the first group of women to compete in saber at the Paralympics. The 2020 Games were the firsttime women competed in saber. Shelby Jensen and I were the first Americans to have this opportunity and honor. Shelby was the first category A and I was the first category B female saber fencer. Being in the first group of women in the world to do anything was very special.
Note: Category A parafencers have good trunk control, can move better in their chairs and are usually ambulatory. Category B parafencers have limited to no trunk control, are usually full-time wheelchair users and use leg and foot straps to stay in their chair while lunging and retreating. What mark do you want to leave on fencing? Hayes: That you are never too old to learn a new sport. I started fencing at 58 and was 63 when I competed in Tokyo. I was the oldest member of the U.S. delegation, and I am very proud of that fact. You are never too old to make your dreams come true.
ABOVE: HAYES WITH HER WIFE, FREDA, AT THE APRIL 2021 NAC IN SALT LAKE CITY — A SEND-OFF EVENT FOR THE PARA SQUAD. LEFT: HAYES (SECOND FROM RIGHT) AND THE WOMEN’S FOIL TEAM, FROM LEFT: ELLEN GEDDES, LAURYN DELUCA AND SHELBY JENSEN POSE WITH COACH MICKEY ZELJKOVIC AT THE WORLD CUP IN BRAZIL.
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BASIC EPEE THE FIRST STEP IS RECOGNIZING THERE’S NO ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH BY COURTNEY HURLEY
I HAVE BEEN FENCING COMPETITIVELY FOR OVER 20 YEARS. I remember my first competition when I was 8 years old. I have made 15 consecutive senior national teams and three Olympic teams in women’s epee. Epee is one of the most difficult events in which to compete, primarily because of the absence of right-of-way and passivity rules. Because of this, developing a successful and consistent winning strategy becomes very complex. Most of the strategy I have learned may be attributed to my father. My dad was my coach in my younger years and traveled with us all over the world to competitions. Our extended European trips would often find us eating dinner in a rented apartment discussing strategy.
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STRATEGY
One of the most basic realizations you will find while fencing epee is that everyone is different. That is, you likely will not find two people who fence exactly alike. Whether they are attackers or defenders, there are as many styles as there are fencers. One strategy can work perfectly against one fencer but when applied to a second fencer, it can fail miserably. Sometimes you get lucky and the competitors in your direct elimination path nicely complement your style and favorite strategy. Other times, you find a competitor whose style is extremely difficult for you. You just never can predict what will happen in an epee tournament. Developing successful strategies is difficult and takes consistent practice. I often find
some fencers focus on winning bouts in their club practice sessions. They put all their effort into beating their opponents for that one bout. Have you ever fenced a club member at an important tournament, whom you beat regularly at the club? Many fencers find the bout they thought was going to be easy turns out to be difficult. Often, that is because while you were focusing on winning the practice bouts, your opponent was focusing on developing a successful strategy against you. Successful strategies are personal to you and your style. There is no one-size-fits-all. Because no two competitors are alike, a fencer needs to have a handful of strategies in their toolkit to call upon when needed. These strategies specifically try to match
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SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES ARE PERSONAL TO YOU AND YOUR STYLE.
your strengths against your opponent’s weaknesses. For example, everyone has a preferred style. Let’s say that Fencer 1 prefers to be an offensive fencer, and Fencer 2 prefers to retreat to their two-meter line and defend. If these two athletes meet each other, it will likely come down to who executes their favorite strategy better. However, if you can identify your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and implement an alternate strategy, you can increase your chances of winning. Using the two examples above, Fencer 1 wants to attack, and they will almost always find themselves on their opponents’ side of the strip. However, that is exactly where Fencer 2 wants them to be. The defender’s objective is to retreat to their two-meter line,
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shrink the distance, and wait for any forward action. Then, they counterattack as hard and as fast as they can. In this example, Fencer 1 must figure out an alternate strategy. That is, if Fencer 2 insists on defending, it is most important for Fencer 1 to get at least one touch ahead. This will force Fencer 2 to move out of their two-meter distance to make a successful attack. This means Fencer 1 must work especially hard to get one touch ahead. This one-touch lead completely changes the bout. This is where strong discipline and strategy become extremely important. At practice, Fencer 1 should work on strategies that pull Fencer 2 out of their favorite twometer distance. This is just one example of a common strategy alternative. The bout clock and passivity rules
may also factor in to developing successful strategies. These are almost impossible to practice at the club because most practice bouts do not utilize a clock or passivity rules. These can only be practiced in competition or simulated competition scenarios, so it is important to incorporate these into your practice schedule. There is no substitution for competition experience and professional insight in helping you build your strategy toolkit. Strip coaching is a good option to use since it can act as a second pair of eyes to help identify an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, but, ultimately, the fencer is responsible for executing the strategy and unless the needed strategy is practiced consistently, it will be difficult to execute in critical situations.
Editor’s Note: Courtney Hurley has started a membership-based online business, HurleyTactics.com, dedicated to improving epee fencing results. Basic membership is free.
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USA FENCING NAMES FIRST BLACK NATIONAL COACH: AKHI SPENCER-EL ON JAN. 20, 2022, USA FENCING NAMED AKHNATEN (AKHI) SPENCER-EL ITS NATIONAL WEAPONS COACH FOR MEN’S SABER. HE SUCCEEDS ZORAN TULUM.
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By Debbie Amsbaugh
Akhi, whom Peter Westbrook calls “The Gentle Giant” for his size and off-piste personality, has a proven track record as a fencer and coach. He was named to the USA Fencing Hall of Fame in 2020 after being a three-time junior saber national champion, two-time senior national saber champion, former No. 1 junior saber fencer in the world and a 2000 Olympian. He currently coaches at Columbia University, Fencers Club and the Peter Westbrook Foundation. He was saber coach at the Pan American Games in 2011 and 2015, where the women’s team brought home four gold medals in team and individual events. He also coached Ibtihaj Muhammand in the 2016 Olympics. Akhi was born in 1979 in Baltimore and raised in Harlem. Peter Westbrook met him through his wife while Akhi was playing baseball. Picking up a saber, he fell in love and left the bat and glove behind. Akhi joined the Peter Westbrook Foundation, where Westbrook has had remarkable success giving inner-city kids opportunities
as fencers. PWF offers life skills along with fencing lessons, enabling young athletes to achieve success in sports and life. Akhi began his fencing career at the age of 13. Peter Westbrook remembers him as “a big, strong, fierce fighter.” He says Akhi has an ability that most do not: He can be told something once and is able to understand and implement concepts it takes most fencers months to achieve. This is a trait he carries into his personal life, as well. Westbrook says he’s in awe of Akhi’s ability to overcome “crazy stuff.” As for Akhi’s potential impact on the national team, Westbrook says, “He is already impacting the team. He is a unifier. He pulls people together. He brings out the brilliance and light in everyone to make a better team, community and country.” Westbrook says Akhi has a unique ability to identify and address the unique needs of individual fencers. Whether
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it’s a technique issue, a mental component or physical conditioning, Akhi stresses the importance of team through selflessness and knowledge. He brings out the best in his fencers. “It’s an honor to follow in the footsteps of the great coaches before me,” Akhi says about his new role. “It was a dream of mine.” As a competitor in national and international events, Akhi had the opportunity to hear and observe many coaching styles. He knew at an early age he had something different to bring to the table to motivate — not through yelling or degradation — but through positivity. “No matter how bad it is, stay in the fight,” he says. “Always do your best.” Hungary, known for its saber dynasty and legendary coaches, was where Akhi obtained his fencing master’s degree. He attended the Semmelweis University in Budapest, in a program that taught him preparation and helped him transition from athlete to coach. From all looks of his career so far, even though he is not a Hungarian, he is carrying on the Hungarian tradition of world-class results.
Akhi’s personal success in saber gives him credibility with his fencers. There is a trust built on those experiences, the knowledge he has been in their place in a bout and in life. Akhi says that being Black in a less-diverse sport has, at times, caused anxiety and self-doubt. PWF teaches to share the difficulties and adopt a culture of selflessness and team. That helped Akhi to focus on his love and passion for the sport. He says any discrimination he felt was encountered not at domestic tournaments but at some international competitions. He remembers coaching Muhammad at World Cups in Europe, particularly in 2015 and 2016, and hearing some of the racist comments directed her way. That hurt, but he chooses not to dwell on those times. “He cuts off the negative and only absorbs the positive,” Westbrook says. Akhi says his worst coaching moment came early in his career when, in the eight-point break with his fencer doing poorly, the fencer lost confidence in his ability. The athlete was frustrated and stressed. The fencer called Akhi a bad coach. “I took it personally and didn’t handle it well,” Akhi remembers.
HE CUTS OFF THE NEGATIVE
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Akhi refocused on his purpose and started paying attention to the little signs that fencers show. “I can see nerves getting the best of a fencer because I have been there. I see it and address it,” he says. “I have learned how to deal with people under stress and bring out the best in those moments. Peter taught us to believe in ourselves and do the same for others.” That belief will serve Akhi well as he works toward what he sees as his most important role as national saber coach: preparing for the best-possible results in the Paris 2024 Olympics and bringing home a medal.
“We’ll create a team with trust, a good bond, where they can depend upon each other,” he says. “Win together. Lose together.” With his experience as a fierce competitor trained in the Peter Westbrook Foundation philosophy of purpose over position and success as a unifying coach, there is hope for our organization. Akhi’s even-keeled temperament and positive outlook, complemented by his skills to bring out the best in everyone, will set an example the rest can follow. His results speak for themselves. This “gentle giant” has the potential to impact not only saber, but other weapons, the fencing community and even the country.
By creating the best team of trained, motivated athletes, Akhi wants the results to speak for themselves.
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BECOMING A
TRUE ATHLETE BY JEFF BUK ANTZ
OLYMPIAN’S BOOK OFFERS ADVICE FOR ATHLETES AND THOSE WHO SUPPORT THEM
LAURENCE CASSOE HALSTED, a two-time British Olympic fencer, takes us on a journey accurately described in the subtitle of his book, “A practical philosophy for flourishing through sport.” In Becoming a True Athlete, Halsted explains that his motivation for authoring the book is to help other athletes have a more positive experience of sport while helping overcome the inevitable obstacles all athletes encounter on their journey. He aims to achieve four things: • Challenge the current win-at-all-costs culture of the sport • Persuade athletes to think more deeply about the meaning and value of sports • Help athletes achieve more of their athletic potential • Give athletes a foundation for enhanced well-being as they go through their sporting career Halsted delves a little deeper into the role sports plays in the world and the need to get away from the win-at-all-costs mentality, which is commendable yet somewhat unrealistic for an athlete embarking on an Olympic dream. Respectfully to the author, this did not resonate with me, although I have the same dream that the athletic world would be a more perfect place.
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E However, the next two areas Halsted dove into hit home. He writes about the unyielding importance of personal integrity and how it defines a person in their athletic life, and, more importantly, in their overall life. That integrity not only allows the person to be comfortable in their own skin, but to help gain the trust and respect of others. The next area is something that makes this book a great read for athletes of all ages, especially younger ones, as well as parents and coaches. It is about accepting personal responsibility. As we see in the fencing world, losses are often blamed on bad refereeing as opposed to being outfenced. Young fencers and their
parents witness their coaches blame the referee. The fencer’s instinct is not to accept the responsibility, and the conflicted coach certainly wants the parents to think the failure of the student was not their fault. Halsted is right on the money as he writes that taking responsibility for things that happen in your life (not just on the fencing strip) is so important in not only selfawareness, but in gaining the trust of others. In addition, he points out that for one to learn from mistakes, he or she must acknowledge the responsibility for having made them. Halsted sums it up by talking about achieving fulfillment by taking responsibility as opposed to blaming others and complaining.
He goes on to point out that one’s fulfillment in life in not based solely on success in sports; rather, that is enhanced by appreciating the journey and relationships fostered along the way. In addition, he espouses that no one is self-made, and it is healthy to seek support to reach top-level performance while developing a healthy approach to accomplishing a goal. The last few chapters are a bit esoteric and certainly provide a platform for deeper thought. But the majority of Becoming a True Athlete offers plenty of life lessons and is great read for everyone who wants to better themselves both as an athlete and as a person.
Becoming a True Athlete (Sequoia Books, 2021) is available at major booksellers.
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THE
BILES EFFECT
&
OLYMPIC TRADITION ATHLETE WELFARE
BY O J HN HEIL & LESLIE PODLOG
WHAT CAN THE FENCING COMMUNITY LEARN FROM THESE MENTAL HEALTH MILESTONES?
LESSONS FROM THE ELITE. Simone Biles’ withdrawal from a key event at the Tokyo Olympics drew a phenomenal response from across the world of sport, driving a wide range of conversations focused on longstanding issues in sport that have been slowly percolating into public consciousness. The scope and scale of this response has created a “Biles effect” of sorts, providing a moment of reflection and an opportunity for change in sport in service of the welfare of all athletes — including those in our fencing family.
Although Biles’ decision was treated by the viewing public as without precedent, this moment has been coming for a long time. Just months before, tennis player Naomi Osaka withdrew from a major tournament, also for mental health reasons. This move sparked similar controversy and setting the stage for Biles. There has been a rising tide of interest in athlete mental health from all quarters of sport, with reports and policies developed by the International Olympic Committee and the NCAA. These calls are bringing attention to the severity of the problem with athlete mental health and organizations seeking solutions. The recent film Weight of Gold, produced by iconic swimmer Michael Phelps features several prominent Olympic athletes who reveal the stressors they face, the struggles they experienced and the personal costs they paid.
To be clear, this article is not intended as an evaluation or judgment of Biles as a person but as an examination of the issues her actions have brought to light. While focused ostensibly on athlete mental health, Biles’ actions also call attention to controversial issues at the core of sport culture, including injury risk and readiness to return to play when injured; the effect of cumulative stress on both well-being and performance; the devastating impact of critical incidents like catastrophic injury; athletes’ rights and organizational practices; and the enduring impact of the ancient ideals of the Greek Olympics on contemporary sport. We conclude with a look at silver linings of athletic adversity and paired with remarkable recovery and post-traumatic growth.
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Fencers and gymnasts are similar in that that they are primarily individual athletes who sometimes perform in team competitions together with athletes they are otherwise typically competing against. Individual sport athletes often tend to silo themselves emotionally and competitively, not revealing weakness to those they compete against, fearing those weaknesses might be exploited. The injury risk in fencing differs greatly from gymnastics. Whereas a failed action in gymnastics can result in a potentially catastrophic injury, the risk of such severe injury in fencing is far less. Nonetheless, the risk is there. For all athletes, injury is more likely when in a state of emotional distress, because of a variety of mind-body factors including distractibility, diminished emotional control and disruption of fine motor skills. Where negative emotionality is high, both health and performance can suffer.
INJURY & RISK TAKING. At the root of Biles’ gymnastics talents is an exceptional sense of where her body is in space, what in sport science is referred to as proprioception. If feelings of worry and apprehension have overridden this sense of where her body is in space, and disrupted the synchrony of body and mind, then she is at risk, potentially for
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catastrophic injury. Risk is pervasive in sport, spanning the physical effects of injury and the emotional costs of poor performance. As such, there is an implicit risk-reward calculation baked in to the everyday choices athletes make, summed-up by the question: “Is it worth it?” This is a complicated and deeply personal decision. Consider the risks faced and embraced by big-wall climber Alex Honnold, whose story is featured in the film Free Solo. On the day he was scheduled to climb, with all resources in place and a production crew ready to go, he decided he was not ready and called it off. Unlike Biles, he had the opportunity to reset and return another day, which he did with stunning success. In a situation where failure means death, he chose the moment when the risk-reward ratio was right, potentially averting failure and death. His achievement is without parallel in the history of climbing and regarded as one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in 21st-century sport. This is the reward that balanced the risk for him. At its core, the decision was about both ability and readiness for the moment. While catastrophic injuries are infrequent. they do occur with a predictable regularity, especially during high-risk activities — like the vault skill that Biles was not ready to
do and avoided. If it were not for proper equipment, practical safeguards, sensible coaching and good decision-making, life-altering injury would be more frequent. The impact of catastrophic injury would be devastating, rippling outward through the athlete’s social circles, affecting teammates, family and friends.
a well-documented but perplexing relationship between general everyday stressors and injury risk. Among high-risk athletes, there is evidence of the development of traumatic stress disorder over time. While cumulative traumatic stress may seem to appear suddenly, it slowly builds over time, eventually reaching a tipping point.
Biles’ actions placed the athlete’s choice at the center of the risk-reward calculation — exactly where it should be. Her focus on mental health made it easier for the rest of us in sport to take pause for our own well-being. The importance of placing mental health considerations above performance ones is better received when coming from a charismatic and highly successful athlete, like Biles or Phelps. We all owe them gratitude for having the courage to speak and act for the well-being of all.
Most likely, the triggering event was the Olympic Games themselves and the abundance of media attention directed at her and a sport that otherwise lives in relative public obscurity. By comparison, professional athletes are used to more media attention and intrusion and are better adapted to that, having more organizational mechanisms in place to cope with and manage it. Given the lengthy four-year Olympic cycle, media scrutiny can create a “now-or-never feeling,” further amplifying the pressure.
CUMULATIVE STRESS & TRAUMATIC INJURY.
SPORT CULTURE & ATHLETE WELFARE.
To understand Biles’ decision — or that of any athlete to take themselves out of competition — it is not enough to examine just the incident itself. Instead, it is necessary to consider what led to the moment, what created the mindset that made a familiar skill suddenly so challenging and thus so dangerous. Over the course of a season or a career, stress can accumulate and build. Research has revealed
Sport is a culture. There is a common set of values, shared expectations, customary practices and even a sport-specific language with words and phrases that may be unknown to those outside the sport. Figure skating Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi wrote Figure Skating for Dummies to help fans understand the language of her sport. Who outside of fencing understands terms like right of way or
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simultaneous action, or even knows the weapon names foil and epee? Within sport and its many cultures, there are expectations that bear directly on athlete health and welfare including risk taking, playing with injury and tolerating pain. While a focus on performance and achievement is essential to success, there is a downside when athletes unquestionably internalize or uncritically accept the norms about pushing through pain, playing injured and not letting down teammates, coaches and parents. Why would an athlete do something they feel is unsafe and risk injury? They may do so out of fear of letting others down, of being shamed by those in the sport or based on the belief that losing a spot on the team is greater than the fear of being injured. For all the suffering it may entail, sadly, injury can be a graceful way out: “At least I tried. I’m mentally tough. I didn’t succeed, but I gave everything.” Mental health concerns are often regarded as a flaw, a sign of weakness. Injury is honorable, quitting is not. Gymnastics culture has high expectations about risk taking with its high-flying skills and related risks. The goldmedal performance of Kerri Strug while injured during the 1996 Atlanta Games, endures as one of the iconic moments of Olympic sport. Ironically, her performance was not necessary, a failure of the team leaders to realize the team had already accumulated the points needed to
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win. Biles received harsh disapproval for her actions, with critics stating she wasn’t mentally tough, didn’t appreciate the opportunity of competing in an Olympic Games and was not really as good as she was said to be. In the face of such high-profile criticism, it takes courage to stand up for her own welfare. No one loses more by not competing then she. In so doing, Biles has made it easier for many others to make similar, sensible choices on their own behalf. The best athletes set the standards in their sports. If the best can do it, then so can the rest.
CULTURAL ROOTS & THE HEROIC IDEAL. The sport norms of mental toughness and pain tolerance can be traced to the ancient Olympics, which celebrated warrior skills and personal sacrifice in the service of society. Consider the marathon, which, according to legend, celebrates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from the plains of Marathon to Athens. After announcing victory of the Greeks over the Persians, Pheidippides collapsed and died. The length of the marathon, 26 miles, 385 yards, is believed to be the distance from the battlefield to the city. Over two millennia later, we continue to value that act as a definitive example of toughness, pain tolerance and personal sacrifice. As such, the marathon stands as a defining moment in sport in Western society. From the point of view of sociology, this event is the foundation of a cultural schema, a deeply embedded belief widely shared
in society. Cultural schema set expectations, influencing thinking in such a subtle way that it operates outside clear awareness.
DANGER, FEAR & DISTRACTION. Even the very best athletes can be subject to moments of debilitating fear, worry and apprehension. When these feelings are legitimized and open to discussion, they can be dealt with more effectively to benefit both health and performance. Fear sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy in that what is feared becomes more likely. In a worst-case scenario, fear can fix focus on failure. While positive thinking is beneficial, it alone doesn’t remedy all problems. Ample research reveals that, for a variety of reasons, holding a negative image makes a negative outcome more likely. The higher the stakes, the greater the challenge. Fear undermines both mind and body, resulting in excess muscle tension, disruption of timing and coordination, undermining visual focusing and driving athlete intensity levels up and out of the zone of optimal performance.
ATHLETES RIGHTS-WHO DECIDES? Did Simone Biles do the right thing? She’s regarded by most as the greatest gymnast of all time and one of the best athletes of the 21st century. As such, it’s fair to say she is an expert on her sport and her own body; that is why she excels. If she says she is not ready to compete, that she is not safe to compete, that needs to be accepted. She is the expert. She knows best.
needs to retake control of their life and move forward instead of remaining stuck at the point of the trauma. In rebuilding a sense of personal autonomy and of competence, the athlete can return to sport mentally stronger and smarter, more confident in their abilities and better able to make better critical decisions. But support from others is also essential, including family and friends, with teams and organizations playing an essential role.
WHERE WE STAND. When athletes like Biles, Phelps and Osaka reveal their struggles, insecurities and vulnerabilities, they pave the way for other athletes to do the same. With the perception of invincibility shattered, their accomplishments seem more remarkable rather than less so. The takeaway message is that a focus on athlete welfare does not shortcut excellence, but actually feeds it. Hopefully, the lessons of this moment can be sustained and important changes made. As noted, there are many factors that can make it difficult for an athlete to speak on their own behalf. Of these, the influence of sport culture is the most vexing. But it is changeable. In fencing, let’s learn from the lessons we’ve seen and make mental health a priority for not only for athletes, but also coaches, officials and administrators.
This is true of all athletes: Their health is their right. Athletic success is undermined if the athlete is always questioning the coach’s decision or judgment. Conversely, if athletes don’t stand up for themselves when they are unable to compete, whether it be for mental or physical health, then a problem is in the making.
THE SILVER LINING. There’s a saying that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Evidence shows this is more indicative of a false sense of optimism than reality. Ample research suggests that trauma all too often leaves people debilitated, experiencing disrupted lives or even post-traumatic stress. As destructive as injury and other trauma in sport can be, there is also evidence these experiences may be recoverable and lead to personal growth. But athletes neither automatically nor inevitably grow because of trauma. Growth begins with a willingness to reflect on and face the impact of that experience, as bad as it may be. The athlete
Dr. John Heil is a sport & clinical psychologist who served as chair of USA Fencing Sports Medicine & Science for 15 years and as a sport psychology consultant at three Olympic Games. He is the founding editor of the Sport Science column. Dr. Leslie Podlog is an Associate Professor in Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Utah. He has over 100 peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters and has presented his injury work to researchers, coaches and sport scientists across the globe. Dr. Podlog and Dr. Heil discuss the “Biles’ effect” in the Mettle Minds Podcast (Episode #54), which can be accessed here.
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the point WOMEN IN FENCING By Karolyn Szot
Athlete to Watch: Honor Johnson
WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF? Probably the accomplishment that I am most proud of is my admission to Princeton University where I will be a freshman in Fall 2022 and will fence on the women’s saber team. I am totally psyched for this next chapter of my life! Fencing-wise, I am a five-time Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships team member (2019 cadet bronze individual medalist, 2021 junior silver team medalist). In January, I earned my first top-16 senior World Cup finish in Tbilisi, Georgia, a huge milestone. WHAT GOT YOU INTO FENCING? I tried virtually every sport – soccer, basketball, tennis, swimming, lacrosse and dance – before eventually quitting them in disinterest. One summer, my mom signed me up for a fencing summer camp. Despite what I now recall was an insanely difficult learning curve, I immediately fell in love with the mental and physical challenge of it and decided that it was what I was going to do. WHAT IS ANOTHER PASSION OF YOURS BESIDES FENCING? WHAT BENEFITS DOES IT GIVE YOU? A passion of mine besides fencing is learning Arabic and gaining exposure to the cultures in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. During the pandemic, school via Zoom, reduced access to training, and practically no competitions left me with idle time. I decided to begin learning a new language independent of school and actually spent a month last summer in Amman, Jordan, living with a host family and studying intensive Arabic. I am considering a career in foreign economic policy so learning a critical language like Arabic and increasing cultural literacy are essential. I also love hiking and backpacking, which have taken me to some pretty cool places like Alaska and the Galápagos. I have a trip to Iceland on the radar for this summer.
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WHAT DO YOU EAT BEFORE AND DURING A COMPETITION? I am definitely a beast when it comes to fueling up before competitions. I probably eat the equivalent of two dinners, loading up on carbs such as pasta or rice and lean proteins like fish or chicken the night before. The day of, I always eat a light breakfast that includes oatmeal and scrambled eggs. I fence my best when I don’t have food weighing me down. My go-to snacks during competitions are bananas, seaweed and turkey jerky. I love Epic chicken bites, too. DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHAT KEPT YOU MOTIVATED? IN THE WORST TIMES OF COVID-19, HOW DID YOU TRAIN? During the pandemic the thought that there would be another competition kept me motivated, despite not knowing when that next competition might come. I wanted to be ready. I remember during the worst times of COVID I was training in my living room with a makeshift dummy that one of my mentors made for me and taking private lessons virtually on Zoom. Some ’70s tunes and old-school hip-hop tracks were definitely on the playlist to keep me pumped up. Think Bee Gees and Biggie with a little 2Pac!
DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL MANTRA? My personal mantra is “one step at a time” because it reminds me to stay in the moment, not get ahead of myself and enjoy the process. There are so many ways to derail yourself during competition. This mantra helps me to tune out the internal and external noise, especially during those inevitable 4-4 or 14-14 moments. WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO THE MOST? I look up to my coaches as well as fencers such as Becca Ward, Lee Kiefer and Kat Holmes (an alumna from my high school – National Cathedral School) who have proved that it is possible to ascend the podium of the Olympics and World Championships, attain education at the highest level and pursue a challenging career. TELL US ABOUT THE WORST BOUT YOU’VE EVER HAD AND HOW YOU LEARNED FROM IT. My worst bout ever was when I fenced Y10 at summer nationals. I was leading at the half but had to withdraw from the semifinals
match because of extreme anxiety. It was a pretty early age to begin learning the power of mental performance. Eight years later, it’s not something that I’ve even come close to mastering or even reaching some level of consistency. I think it’s something that ebbs and flows and is a constant challenge.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS? In five years, I see myself either training for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles or studying in graduate school or both. Why not. WHY DO YOU FENCE?
IF YOU HAD TO FENCE A DIFFERENT WEAPON THAN YOUR CURRENT ONE, WHICH WOULD IT BE AND WHY? If I had to fence another weapon, I would definitely fence epee because of the strength of women’s epee in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia areas. I imagine achieving success fencing epee requires quite a bit of patience, a life skill that I can stand to develop. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT? I’m looking forward to fencing Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships in Dubai in April and practicing a bit of Arabic. I’m also looking forward to continuing to develop on the senior World Cup circuit. My guilty pleasures are K-pop and K-drama, so I am especially hyped about traveling to South Korea for the Grand Prix in Seoul in April.
I’ve been a competitive person and a perfectionist since I can remember. I want to be the best, whether it’s with my academics, or playing a game of Phase 10 with my family or bouting on the fencing piste. I want to win against my opponent and against myself! A desire to conquer my personal best is what drives me to succeed, which means there’s never an endgame and always an opportunity to push the limits. I’ve had rough days and many slip-ups where my performance wasn’t at its best and they just motivate me to reflect, practice and train even harder. Those moments when I finally reach my goals at a difficult competition produce an adrenaline rush like nothing else. Temporarily. There is always room for improvement and that’s why I fence. I cannot imagine not fencing.
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the point WOMEN IN FENCING By Karolyn Szot
Athlete to Watch: Hadley Husisian
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR BEST RESULTS? U.S. RESULTS • 2021 Division I women’s epee national champion (one of youngest ever) • Became #1-ranked junior women’s epee fencer (rolling points) while still a cadet fencer (2020) and have maintained #1 ranking for last three years (2020-2022) • Two-time member of junior world team (2020, 2021); will qualify for 2022 junior team at JOs. Member of cadet world team (2020) • Former cadet national champion INTERNATIONAL RESULTS • Gold medal, Burgos Junior World Cup (December 2021) • Silver medal, Bratislava Junior World Cup (February 2020) • Finished in top 16 at my first senior World Cup in Tallinn (2021) • Ranked 6th in the world on global junior women’s epee FIE rankings • Ranked 95th on the global senior women FIE rankings; youngest fencer (only 18) in the top100 senior women’s epee rankings worldwide WHAT GOT YOU INTO FENCING? When I was 10, I saw an episode of iCarly that featured the “Fencing Bensons,” a fictitious family of world-famous fencers. I also was really into the Hunger Games books at the time and decided that I wanted to try either fencing or archery. I had a slight preference for archery, but the local club had a three-month waiting list. So, I decided to try fencing in the meantime and loved it.
WHAT IS ANOTHER PASSION OF YOURS BESIDES FENCING? WHAT BENEFITS DOES IT GIVE YOU? For the last several years, I have been collecting food donations for a local food bank, Food for Others. I set a goal at the beginning of the pandemic to gather 10 tons of food by distributing flyers in area neighborhoods. I never realized exactly how much 10 tons of food really was, but after about 18 months of walking through neighborhoods distributing flyers, I finally hit my goal. Now I have a new goal of gathering 15 tons of food. I also have volunteered at the Food for Others warehouse, organizing donations, sorting through fresh produce and helping to distribute boxes of food to clients. It felt especially good when I would see items I had gathered go home with a family. Volunteering has given me a sense of bringing real-life positive changes to some families’ lives, especially as our area has had to cope with the pandemic. WHAT DO YOU EAT BEFORE AND DURING A COMPETITION? The night and morning before a tournament, I’ll usually have a light meal. Nerves kill my appetite during competitions, so the little I do eat tends to be junk food like Little Debbie oatmeal cookies, Kit Kats and Fruit Gushers. I also like to drink orange juice or pineapple juice, because I happened to be drinking juice at the first cadet NAC I medaled in. I suppose it now has become a superstition for me. DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHAT KEPT YOU MOTIVATED? IN THE WORST TIMES OF COVID-19, HOW DID YOU TRAIN? Initially, I stopped going to my fencing club when the number of COVID cases in my county hit 40 per day (which seemed high
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at the time). While my club was shut down, I did online footwork classes, worked out with weights, ran outside and on the treadmill and did target practice. USA Fencing also arranged for the cadet and junior world team fencers to do online sessions with some of the senior women’s epee fencers, which I also found very helpful and enjoyable, especially when we met online to discuss topics like training techniques, stress-management and nutrition. I didn’t really lose my motivation during that time. In fact, in the absence of tournaments, I was getting lots of sleep for the first time in years. It made it much easier to train when I was feeling so rested, so I actually increased my training volume and found a lot of enjoyment in practicing. DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL MANTRA? I never really thought about that before. I suppose it would be something along the lines of “you didn’t come this far to only come this far.” I’m proud of how much time and effort I’ve invested in fencing, and I want to be sure that I’m doing my absolute best to show off all the work I’ve put into the sport when it comes time to compete. WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO THE MOST? Kat Holmes and Anna Van Brummen have been very kind and welcoming to me, especially as I’ve begun to compete at the senior level internationally. Since I first started fencing, I’ve admired how they are able to fence at the highest levels while still pursuing rigorous academic studies. I know my younger self would be so happy to see how they’ve now become my mentors and friends.
TELL US ABOUT THE WORST BOUT YOU’VE EVER HAD AND HOW YOU LEARNED FROM IT. At the Junior Olympics in Memphis in 2018, I was in pretty bad shape – I had a broken toe and I was having horrible issues with my knees that made it really hard to fence. On top of that, I had food poisoning and had to run to the bathroom to throw up in between bouts. Nonetheless, I somehow won all my pool bouts and made it to the table of 16 (while being especially glad that no one tried a foot touch against me). I actually was up 12-7 against another cadet fencer whom I had never beaten at that time with only 90 seconds to go. But then it all caught up with me and came crashing down on my head. By the end of the bout, I had completely run out of energy. I watched as my opponent made a spectacular comeback to beat me 14-13. So by one touch I missed getting what would have been my first national championship medal. My failure to secure a medal at JOs after coming so close stuck with me for a long time. But eventually my mindset changed, and I realized that despite my condition, I was able to win 10 bouts and come very close to my goal. Even though I fell short that day, I learned that I can push through tough situations if I stay focused enough. IF YOU HAD TO FENCE A DIFFERENT WEAPON THAN YOUR CURRENT ONE, WHICH WOULD IT BE AND WHY? I suppose I would pick foil because I have a more temperate, patient personality and I can’t see myself being aggressive enough for a successful saber career.
Dubai in April and fencing with Team USA in the team event. I am also very much looking forward to competing on a team when I start college at Princeton in September. On a personal level, I am looking forward to having a break during the summer to relax and see my friends before heading off to college. WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS? Like many fencers, I hope to make the senior world team and eventually fence at the Olympics someday. I think that I would like to attend law school in five or so years, but I hope to use my time at college to study new subjects and figure out what it is, besides fencing, that is my passion. WHY DO YOU FENCE? I have just always liked fencing. Initially, I was not fencing to try to get medals. In fact, in my first Y-12 NAC in Columbus, I somehow managed to lose all six pool bouts with a minus 21 indicator and then lose my first DE (putting me dead last for the entire tournament). So it was really cool to come back to Columbus five years later and to leave with a Cadet NAC gold medal at the same venue where I was dead last before. Overall, I love how the sport combines both physical and mental challenges and that you have only a split second to apply the right action to effectuate your strategy. I also love the feeling of giving my all to something and seeing improvement. It is also the only sport that I am remotely talented at, so it was either stick with fencing or join my school’s debate team.
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT? On a fencing level, I am looking forward to representing the United States at the Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships in
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the point WOMEN IN FENCING By Karolyn Szot
Athlete to Watch: Lauren Scruggs
WHAT ARE YOUR BEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN FENCING? In 2019, at the Torun, Poland, Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships I won both the junior and cadet women’s foil events. This feat established me as the first American foilist to win both events at the same World Championships, as well as the first AfricanAmerican woman to do so. In 2018, I won junior bronze at the Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships in Verona, Italy, and helped Team USA win the team event there as well. In 2021, despite all the complications with the pandemic, my teammates and I won silver at the Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships in Cairo, Egypt. In 2022, I won the Junior Women's Foil World Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. WHAT GOT YOU INTO FENCING? My older brother. I always did the same sports he did, so when he started fencing, so did I.
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WHAT IS ANOTHER PASSION OF YOURS BESIDES FENCING? WHAT BENEFITS DOES IT GIVE YOU? I like music and film! As someone who is always traveling and balancing schoolwork, I look to movies and music to help de-stress and relax. WHAT DO YOU EAT BEFORE AND DURING A COMPETITION? I’m not too picky, honestly, I just eat whatever is available and make sure to get in something that will prevent cramping. Recently, I’ve really been liking the liquid IV packets for hydration and bananas to keep me energized. DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHAT KEPT YOU MOTIVATED? IN THE WORST TIMES OF COVID-19, HOW DID YOU TRAIN? I think the pandemic allowed me to have a break from everything, so for me it was less so about keeping motivated and more so about enjoying life. In terms of training, I was dealing with an injury, so I spent most of my time healing and recovering.
DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL MANTRA? Try your best! WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO THE MOST? I would say that I prefer to reflect on myself rather than look up to people. I personally don’t find it productive to try and compare and live up to another person, I think that at times it messes with my confidence and mindset, so for me, it’s more beneficial for me to be my own inspiration — not in a self-absorbed way — but one that pushes me to be better than my past self. TELL US ABOUT THE WORST BOUT YOU’VE EVER HAD AND HOW YOU LEARNED FROM IT. The worst bout that I can remember has to be when I fenced Lee Kiefer at a senior World Cup. I generally go into all my bouts with the confidence I can win — regardless of the competitor — but for some reason with this bout I had no confidence in myself. Even though I lost the bout, I knew I could have put up a better fight and that’s what bothered me the most. I think it matters more about
the effort you put in than the result, so I was disappointed in myself that I let myself give up a little. IF YOU HAD TO FENCE A DIFFERENT WEAPON THAN YOUR CURRENT ONE, WHICH WOULD IT BE AND WHY? Saber, I’m awful at epee but slightly less awful at saber. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT? I am excited to compete at more senior world cups and to continue building and training with the Harvard fencing team. There, I am excited to further explore my intellectual interests. WHY DO YOU FENCE? Because it’s fun!
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the point WOMEN IN FENCING By Karolyn Szot
Coach to Watch: Natalie Dostert
Natalie is the new USA Fencing women’s epee head coach and is a former competitive fencer for Germany. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR BEST FENCING ACCOMPLISHMENTS? In my fencing career I was two-time senior national team champion in Germany and German collegiate team champion. I represented Germany in junior and senior World Cups before retiring from my career as an athlete to focus full-time on coaching. WHAT GOT YOU INTO FENCING? I got into fencing through an after-school program in the fifth grade, and then moved to train in a sports boarding school program in Bonn, Germany, at the age of 15. WHAT IS ANOTHER PASSION OF YOURS BESIDES FENCING? WHAT BENEFITS DOES IT GIVE YOU? I have always had a real passion for physical fitness. That’s why several years ago I got my personal training license to get a better understanding of how to train on a purely physical level as well as be able to offer that knowledge to my athletes. WHAT IS BEST TO EAT BEFORE AND DURING A COMPETITION? The night before a competition, make sure to eat a good portion of carbohydrates like pasta and to hydrate well in order to have a good base of energy for the next morning. During the competition, I suggest having bananas and some kind of energy bars with you to have an easy and digestible snack for in between bouts. Also make sure to have some electrolyte water and keep drinking over the competition to avoid cramping and muscular fatigue.
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DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHAT KEPT YOU MOTIVATED? IN THE WORST TIMES OF COVID-19, HOW DID YOU TRAIN? My students kept me motivated with their effort, hard work and determination to make the best out of this tough situation. We worked for a while via Zoom doing group classes and private lessons. We developed some pretty unique and interesting ways to change it up and keep our students interested and focused. We created different ways to create home targets for target practice as well as different pre-made video presentations to work on reaction and timing as best as possible without an actual opponent. DO YOU HAVE A PERSONAL MANTRA? Although I don’t have a personal mantra, I like to tell my students while I’m coaching to “believe it.” It’s important to believe in your actions and what you are doing 100% in order to succeed. WHO DO YOU LOOK UP TO THE MOST? For various situations I have different people that I look up to or admire. Admiring people, to me, is similar to fencing in that I like to find different actions, preparations or behaviors and put them together in my own unique way in order to help create the best version of myself. TELL US ABOUT THE WORST BOUT YOU’VE EVER HAD AND HOW YOU LEARNED FROM IT. I was a pistol-grip fencer. But for one season in my junior career, I fenced with French grip because I felt stuck with where I was as a fencer at that time and wanted to try something different. During one bout at a German national competition, I was leading by three points in a bout to make the top eight. At the break I turned to my coach and told him “I can’t do it”; he was very confused as to
why I was saying this because I was leading by three points. But at that moment I had lost all belief in my fencing and felt I needed to take the blade to win, something French grip fencers don’t typically do. My coach tried to convince me I didn’t need the blade to score, but I went into the next period and was unable to score again, inevitably losing the bout. At that moment I had lost all belief in myself and my fencing. However, after the bout, I realized that whatever was going on in my head at the time just got the better of me in that particular moment. My opponent hadn’t changed anything, instead I went into that next period with the wrong mentality. And from that point on I learned that you have to believe in yourself in the moment and question yourself later. Because without believing in yourself and your fencing you are not going to be able to win. I then went back to fencing pistol grip for that next season and enjoyed my best fencing for the rest of my career. IF YOU HAD TO FENCE A DIFFERENT WEAPON THAN YOUR CURRENT ONE, WHICH WOULD IT BE AND WHY? If I had to fence a different weapon other than epee it would be saber for sure. I love the speed of saber fencing and the challenge of having to make an important decision in a split second. Which is obviously the opposite of what we mostly do in epee where we typically take a lot of time to prepare. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT? I am looking forward to the two World Championships coming up for the cadets AND juniors in Dubai and for the seniors in Egypt. It will be exciting to lead the women’s epee team in these two major events.
WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN FIVE YEARS? In five years, I see myself preparing our team for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. We will be starting the qualification phase, and I’m super excited since we have a great group of women’s epee fencers and a lot of young talent coming up right now. WHY DO YOU FENCE? I fell in love with fencing because it teaches you how to fight for something you want in a very sportsmanlike and respectful way. I think fencing can be for everyone no matter what their strengths or weaknesses are because the sport is so rich and includes the best of both physical and mental aspects. Fencing also gives you a chance to travel the world, get to know different cultures and make lasting connections and friendships. I wanted to be a coach to help give this change and experience to fencers and help them to grow as people. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE A NATIONAL COACH? AND WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED FOR? It feels great to be given the chance to work with the women’s epee team as national coach. I worked with many of these women during many different international competitions leading up to this point and I am so excited to lead them to perform on the highest stages in the fencing world. ARE YOU THE SECOND WOMAN IN U.S. HISTORY TO BE A NATIONAL COACH? Yes, I am. The first female national coach was Nat Goodhartz. Although I do not know her personally, I have heard that she is an excellent coach! And I’m grateful to keep paving the way for more female coaches to take on top coaching roles and responsibilities.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO HAVE FEMALE REPRESENTATION AMONGST THE NATIONAL COACHES? I think that it is great for women, especially young girls, to see that it is possible to achieve anything if they are willing to work hard and give it everything they’ve got. HOW DO WE PAVE THE WAY TO EMPOWER MORE WOMEN TO COACH? I hope to be able to lead by example to empower more women to step up and become strong and capable coaches. DO YOU APPROACH COACHING WOMEN DIFFERENTLY THAN MEN? No, I do not approach coaching women differently than men. At Alliance Fencing Academy I coach both, women and men. Additionally, I coached the junior men’s epee team at the 2020 Pan American Championships in El Salvador. I try to personalize my coaching to every fencer best I can regardless of their gender. HOW DO YOU ENVISION THE ROAD AHEAD FOR TEAM USA? The road ahead for Team USA looks fantastic! We have a great team of coaches and staff who are excited and willing to work their hardest to improve our athletes. We have a super-strong, next generation of athletes coming up who are starting to make an impact in the senior world circuit. We want to focus on bringing fencers from the cadet level all the way up to our top senior fencers together more often to create a great team cohesion. We want the young fencers to be included in order for them to learn for our top senior fencers. I believe that this is the most important part of the path ahead for Team USA as we gear up for Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028.
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the point PARENTS' CORNER by Jenny Petite
Allow them to FAIL It's difficult as a parent to watch your fencer fail. Protecting our children from failure may prevent short-term pain but prohibits long-term growth. Allowing them to see failure as a learning tool gives them the ability to be less hesitant and more confident. Often, we place failure in a negative light and on a pedestal it does not deserve. Challenging ourselves with a new mindset to failure can help our athletes use it to evaluate their goals with a new perspective, inspiring change and creating needed resilience essential for competitive fencing. So, why is failure so great for your child? Ultimately, failure gives your fencer the chance to reevaluate themselves. Where did they go wrong? How can they improve? Failure can show your athlete what they shouldn’t be doing. You can harp and harp and tell them what they need, but until there is a negative consequence, your child may not have a desire to change certain aspects of their fencing regimen. And third, failure will not kill them, and it is inevitable. The more coping skills acquired, the easier it is to deal with each time it makes its appearance. So how do we help our children use failure as a catalyst for success? When your athlete has had a tough defeat, allow them to feel the pain and discomfort (I promise this is temporary), but acknowledge their feelings and frustrations. Initial responses such as, “I know you must be frustrated; I hear you, that was a tough loss, I would be upset also” can be instructive and supportive. This lets your athlete know you are behind them and are not disappointed in them as a person. When emotions are no longer high, point out things that went well in their bout. “You had a great touch on your opponent on the third point you scored; you looked like you executed that move you’ve been working on; after you spoke with your coach on the second break, you seemed to have gained your composure and you got a great touch right after.” Anything solid you can point out in most cases will help them start thinking about small successes, even amid the defeat. Seeing positive moments lays the groundwork to create the learning experience.
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When the initial blow has worn off, talk about their strengths. Ask them what they think they need to improve on, without placing emphasis on the loss. In their own time, these conversations will have the potential for them to associate their weaknesses to their losses, seeing the need for these weaknesses to improve. This can help in creating a game plan for success whether it is with you, on their own or with the coach. Normalize failure. Help your child see everyone, especially successful athletes who have had major failures. Take Michael Jordan for instance, one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was cut from his high school basketball team and did not receive a scholarship for college to play basketball. These failures should have told him to give up. Instead, these setbacks drove him to work harder and harder. With stories like this, you can help your athlete see the pain and failure others endured and how it played a key part in their ultimate success.
Although your children look up to their athletic heroes, you are their closest role model. Telling them stories of your own setbacks and how you dealt with them appropriately or inappropriately will also help them see failure as an everyday occurrence and take the fear out of it. Some of the greatest lessons and bonding that came between my dad and myself was when I was able to see the chinks in his armor and hear about his failures and letdowns and his ability to deal with them. Normalizing failure will set our athletes up for success both on and off the fencing strip.
