First to 15: The USA Fencing Podcast

In this episode, Bryan is joined by Brandon Rochelle, chair of the USA Fencing Tournament Committee, for a full breakdown of the new points and events structure launching Aug. 1, 2026. They discuss: why USA Fencing felt change was necessary how elite and national event tiers will work why a unified points list is being introduced how points will flow between Division I, junior and cadet what the t...

In this episode, Bryan talks with Brad Suchorski , USA Fencing’s Director of Membership, Service and Growth, about the bigger picture behind collegiate fencing expansion. They cover: Why college fencing growth is more complicated than it looks from the outside What stood out from the NCAA Fencing Championships at Notre Dame Why separate men’s and women’s team titles matter What families often misu...

Guest: Deep Patel Deep walked onto the men’s fencing team at Haverford College after discovering fencing through a PE class, and quickly became one of the team’s leaders. He now coaches sabre at Badger Fencing Club and is part of a new generation of coaches helping make fencing more accessible. What you’ll hear in this episode How Deep discovered fencing in college (and why a PE class + a “why not...

Guest: David Sierra David Sierra is the head men’s and women’s fencing coach at Wagner College (NY), where he expanded the program from seven athletes to a co-ed squad of 31 and produced NCAA qualifiers early in the men’s program. He also coaches veteran fencers (40+), served as coach and team captain at the 2025 Veteran Worlds in Bahrain, is a longtime national referee, a certified fencing master...

Guest: Corwin Duncan is a mental performance coach, former national champion and world team member, and a longtime fencing coach and referee. He works with fencers of all levels to build concrete, in-the-moment skills for managing pressure, emotions, and focus — on and off the strip. What we cover: Why tournaments feel different than practice: familiarity, “safety,” routine disruption, and expecta...

Guest Peter Grandbois — Head coach of Denison women’s varsity fencing; coach of Denison men’s club team (transitioning to varsity in 2026). English professor and creative writing instructor. Veteran competitor and longtime coach. What you’ll hear in this episode How Denison fencing dates back to at least 1941 — and why college clubs often rise and fall with student energy The real grind of launchi...

Guests Theo Lin — Founder & Head of Community Engagement Catalina Berrios — Head of Social Media Ryan Katz — Head of Communications Ava Kwon — Trainee (future Communications & High School Engagement) Lucas Suba — Head of Registration & Onsite Project Management What this episode covers Why Theo founded DoGood after missing school service days for NAC travel How DoGood finds and books volunteer pro...

Title: Rob Charlton on Why NCAA Fencing Is Within Your Reach Season 2, Episode 20 In this episode, Bryan talks with Rob Charlton — head coach of Wellesley College and a club coach at Five Points Fencing Academy — about why many more fencers are “good enough” to fence in college than they realize, and how to navigate the NCAA landscape without getting overwhelmed. In this episode, you’ll learn: The...

Season 2, Episode 19 Guests: Jen Oldham & Jeff Kallio — Forge Fencing Academy (North Carolina); Jen also coaches at Cleveland State What we cover How the Kenya initiative began: an international coaching program connection and a promise to “do something” Working with Coach Eliakim (“Coach Jack”), a Kenyan Taekwondo coach and sports protection coach What fencing looks like in Kenya: blank slate in...

Season 2, Episode 18 Guests: Courtney Hurley OLY — Three-time Olympian (team bronze), Head Coach, Duke City Fencing; program lead at Menaul School Chris Ferrara — Assistant Head of School & Upper School Director, Menaul School (Albuquerque, NM) What we cover Courtney’s transition from Olympian to coach: passing on elite habits, culture-building, and motivation The liberal-arts lens (Chris): teachi...

Season 2, Episode 17 Guest: Eric Nassos — Head Coach & former president/captain, Marquette University Fencing (Collegiate Club) What we cover Paths after high school if there’s no NCAA team: local clubs, campus clubs, and how to mix both Starting (or reviving) a club: student sign-ups, admin petition, storage, safety-compliant gear, and budgeting Funding in the real world: dues, university reimbur...

Season 2, Episode 16 Guests: Ken Gauvey — Attorney; Vet épée fencer (DC Fencers Club) Michael Hughes — Lifelong fencer, teacher & coach; Vet épée fencer (DC Fencers Club) What we cover Origin stories: late start (Ken) vs. 50 years in the sport (Michael) — and discovering the Vet community Why donate? Ken’s family emergency; Michael’s NPR drive-time moment and the “why not me?” mindset Expectation...

Season 2, Episode 15 Guest: Eric Soyka — National Parafencing Coach, USA Fencing; Coach at Phoenix Center & Rogue Fencing Academy What we cover Origin story: two injured athletes, one suggestion—“try parafencing”—and a deep dive into rules, video, and best practices How far we’ve come: more media, more youth, and athletes sticking after the Games Inside the club: fitting a frame into a small space...

Season 2, Episode 14 Guest: Amy Wilson — Nurse & Higher-Ed Simulation Specialist; youth fencing parent; advocate for neurodivergent athletes What we cover Why “calm down” isn’t a strategy: replacing emotions (anger → engagement, under-arousal → activation) Fencing’s unique demands: fast decisions, constant stimuli, and doing it alone on the strip The concept: regulate first, then choose to go expl...

Season 2, Episode 13 Guest: Ari Simmons — U.S. Men’s Epee; Cadet World Champion; 4x All-American (Notre Dame); Coach/Mentor; Co-host, The Direct Elimination Podcast What we cover Origin story: from Alliance Fencing Academy kid to cadet world champ Why the sport still “gives him life”—and how fencing builds the person off the strip Closing the junior-to-senior gap in U.S. men’s epee: mentorship, sh...

Season 2, Episode 12 Guest: Alyssa Hirsch — PhD Student, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; Fencing Historian What we cover How a varsity fencer became a fencing historian The first spark: a Soviet fencing essay in high school and an interview with coach Anatolie Senic From Wayne State to Purdue to Illinois: tracing fencing’s place in American and world history The 1956 Hungarian Revolution...

Season 2, Episode 11 Guest: Dr. Nicole Polanichka — Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Mental Performance Consultant, Veteran Fencer What we cover Nicole’s fencing origin story (and The Princess Bride connection) The veteran fencing community as a supportive, lifelong home How her psychology training reshaped her approach to competition Why the stigma around mental health in sports is lifting What ma...

Season 2, Episode 10 Guest: Ben Paul — Director, Leon Paul (London) What we cover Origin story: growing up in a workshop where design meets fencing Competing (a little), engineering (a lot), and finding his lane in the family business Early e-commerce: how a website opened Leon Paul to the world Milestones: Atlanta 1996: modular raised aluminum pistes London 2012: Tron-like show lighting that help...

Season 2, Episode 9 Guest: Damien Lehfeldt — Chair, USA Fencing Board of Directors; Coach, Nova Fencing Club What we cover Origin story: three decades in fencing—community first, results second Coaching during the Great Recession; mentoring as purpose Making fencing simpler: free articles, open-source resources, data tools Why run for the Board? Giving back and building on post-Tokyo momentum Bein...

Season 2, Episode 8 Guest: Eli Dershwitz — Olympian, 2023 World Champion, owner/head coach at Zeta Fencing What we cover Coming home as owner/head coach: why now, who he called, and the vision for Zeta Building an environment kids want to attend — fun first, challenge second How he partners with parents: clear expectations, routines, and responsibility College recruiting sanity check: focus on sma...

Supriya Nair is a junior at Stanford Online High School, a rare triple‑weapon fencer, and the creator of Neurofencing — a project that asks a simple question every athlete knows: Does a good warm‑up really make you faster? She started by wiring herself up with cheap sensors in her garage. Two years later, she’s collecting data at major hospitals and university labs, using high‑end gear to track hu...

Luao Yang on the Road From Michigan to a Cadet Men’s Foil World Championship Today we have a very special guest: Luao Yang! Luao is one of Team USA’s brightest young stars – he’s the newly crowned 2025 Cadet Men’s Foil World Champion. This season he’s racked up impressive international results and made history for USA Fencing, all while still in high school. In this episode, we’ll chat about Luao’...

today we have not one but two special guests whose journeys have been intertwined ever since their first lunges at Scarsdale Fencing Center. First up is Will Morrill — a former Cadet World Champion who’s now tearing it up on the collegiate scene with the Columbia Lions. Alongside him is Emilio Gonzalez, fresh off winning individual Cadet gold and helping Team USA claim team gold at this year’s Jun...

Our guest is Alexandra Lee, a sophomore saber fencer at Princeton University and a rising star on the international stage.  She recently helped Team USA win a gold medal at the Junior & Cadet World Championships in Wuxi, China — and even brought home an individual silver in women’s saber as well. In this episode, we'll dive deep into Alexandra's journey, from standing atop the podium in Wuxi to ba...

Today I have the distinct honor of speaking with one of fencing’s most impactful figures and someone who’s just been a really great person to get to know in my three years with USA Fencing. It’s Don Anthony. Donald is not just a world-class fencer who competed for Team USA at two Senior World Championships; he’s also a visionary sports executive, an entrepreneur, and a transformational leader. He’...