Today’s guest is as sharp on the strip as she is in the classroom. At just 19, she has already left her mark on the fencing world and shows no signs of stopping.We're joined by Tierna Oxenreider, an epee fencer from Columbus, Ohio, who has dedicated 12 years to mastering the art of fencing. She not only represents the prestigious Columbia University and the New York Athletic Club but also recently added a silver medal to her collection from the 2023 Junior and Cadet Worlds in Bulgaria.Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episodeFollow Tierna on Instagram--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Our guest is not only a force on the fencing strip but also a force for change in the community of fencing itself. Nzingha Prescod is a 2-time Olympian, World Champion, and 4-time Senior World Medalist. But that's not all — the Columbia University graduate is also the Founder & CEO of The Prescod Institute for Sport, Teamwork and Education, better known as PISTE. Through PISTE, she's been breaking down barriers and making fencing accessible to hundreds of kids in under-resourced communities. On top of all that, she serves on the Board of Directors of USA Fencing and is a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s Council on Social and Racial JusticeVisit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episodeFollow Nzingha on Instagram--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

We're joined by Julie Seal, a 15-time Individual National Champion, a 2022 Veteran World Champion in Saber, and a two-time Pan American Team Bronze Medalist. She's also a mother of five incredible children — all of whom fence — and even has a son-in-law who fences and referees as well.And if that's not enough, she's gearing up to compete in the 2023 FIE Veteran Fencing World Championships in Daytona Beach, Florida, starting Oct. 11!Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Our guest is Akhi Spencer-El, a USA Fencing Hall of Famer and Team USA’s national weapons coach for men’s saber. Appointed in January 2022, Akhi made history as USA Fencing’s first Black national coach.But his accomplishments go far beyond that important milestone. His résumé is teeming with accolades: three-time junior saber national champion, two-time senior saber national champion, former world No. 1 in junior saber, and a 2000 Olympian. He’s also an experienced mentor, having coached at the Pan American Games, Columbia University, and the 2016 Olympics in Rio, where he guided a team that included Ibtihaj Muhammad.This summer at the 2023 FIE Fencing World Championships, Akhi and the men's saber team achieved their best-ever finish, capturing an individual gold medal for Eli Dershwitz and a team bronze for the U.S.Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode, we welcome back to the podcast Supriya Nair, a 14-year-old foil and epee fencer from Redmond, Wash., who fences with the Rain City Fencing Center.  When we last spoke to Supriya about a year ago, she had just received an award for her groundbreaking experiment, Neurofencing, which explored the importance of pre-bout warm-ups through a neuroscientific lens. Now, we're catching up with Supriya to see how her research has evolved and what new insights she has for us.If you missed our first conversation with Supriya last year, you might want to consider listening to Episode 8 to hear how this all got started. But to catch you up, Supriya had always heard from her coaches that pre-bout warmups were important, but wondered if there was any quantitative data to prove it. So she set out to investigate this for herself — using special equipment to test that hypothesis. The result was an award-winning experiment she calls Neurofencing.Now she’s back with even more data and insights. Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episodeSupriya's neurofencing siteBackyard Brains article on neurofencing--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Today’s guest is a true difference-maker in the fencing world — someone who has not only made impressive strides in the sport but is using her passion to break barriers and make fencing accessible to all. Meet Emersyn Runions, a 16-year-old A-rated epee fencer who has been honing her skills for the past 7 years at a number of different clubs, including her current club — the Pegasus Sword Academy in Dallas, Texas. Emersyn is a two-time All American and All Academic First Team member and a member of the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 Cadet National Team. Beyond her phenomenal fencing achievements, Emersyn has poured her heart into community service. She has worked with multiple organizations like Best Buddies, Kidnetic Games, Special Olympics, Friday Nite Friends and more.What sets her apart? Emersyn recently planned, developed and executed a 6-week adapted fencing camp for children with cerebral palsy. A part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, which she called "Fencing for All," she's made it her mission to bring fencing to children of all physical abilities and hopes to introduce fencing into the Special Olympics one day. Let's learn more about this inspiring young woman's journey, her work, and her vision for the future of fencing. Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Maggie Dull. Maggie is an integral part of our fencing community, serving as one of the chairs of the Bout Committee at USA Fencing national tournaments, including right here at Summer Nationals. But Maggie's contribution to the sport stretches far beyond the Bout Committee alone.Starting her fencing journey as a walk-on for Vassar College's varsity team in her senior year, Maggie quickly found her niche in the organizational side of the sport. She has served in roles from Oregon Division secretary to managing local and regional tournaments for the Maryland Division and several clubs. Since 2013, she has been a key figure in the National Bout Committee, stepping up as chair in 2014.But that's not all. Maggie currently holds positions on USA Fencing's Tournament Committee, serves as the chair of the Black Card Review Group, and reads for the annual Absolute Fencing Gear All-American Team scholarship essays. She also leads the Western New York Division as their division chair.Outside of fencing, Maggie brings her organizational prowess to the academic world, currently serving as the Director of Metadata Strategies and Interim Director of Digital Initiatives at the University of Rochester's River Campus Libraries. Come July 17, she'll step into a new role as Interim Assistant Dean of Scholarly Curation and Resources. In addition to all this, she also lectures for the University of Maryland's Master of Library and Information Science program.Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Matt Tucker, a referee and soon-to-be veteran fencer from Boston who specializes in saber and foil but referees all three weapons.Matt started refereeing nationally in 2016 and moved up the refereeing ranks quickly. He’s now an early career FIE ref.On top of all that, he’s a Data Scientist for Amazon's Alexa organization and married to a fellow national-level fencing referee, Bern Samko. We’re excited to chat with Matt Tucker today about his fencing journey, his ascent as a national and then international referee and his thoughts about the role technology might play in our sport in the future.Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode, we're thrilled to be talking with none other than Jackie Dubrovich, 2020 Tokyo Olympian and a standout star in women's foil. Jackie, hailing from the New Jersey Fencing Alliance, is a seasoned competitor in the world of fencing and is currently ranked 17th in the world in women’s foil.We’re recording this live at Summer Nationals in Phoenix, where Jackie and her women’s foil teammates are doing a training camp in part to prepare for the World Championships in Milan, Italy.This will be Jackie’s fourth Senior World Team, but her impressive track record goes back more than a decade — including three team silver medals and one gold at the Junior/Cadet World Championships, a team bronze at the 2019 Senior World Championships, and a team silver at the 2022 Senior World Championships in Cairo.Follow Jackie on InstagramVisit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Today we're diving into the mental side of the sport, focusing on a common yet often overlooked struggle: impostor syndrome.We're thrilled to welcome Dr. Lisa Orbe-Austin, a licensed psychologist and renowned executive coach, who's made tremendous strides in tackling impostor syndrome, diversity, equity and inclusion, and effective communication within various organizations and educational institutions.The author of two insightful books, 'Own Your Greatness' and 'Your Unstoppable Greatness,' she’s an expert in overcoming impostor syndrome and navigating toxic or unsupportive work cultures.In addition to her professional accomplishments, Dr. Orbe-Austin also brings a unique perspective to our discussion today - she's a parent to two budding fencers. Let's delve into her rich professional insights and her firsthand experiences from the fencing world. Visit Dr. Orbe-Austin's siteVisit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Megumi Oishi, a student-athlete at Northwestern University, founder of The Athlete Narrative, and an advocate for body positivity in fencing and beyond. Megumi has been fencing for 10 years, is a 16-time national medalist, a one-time international medalist, and was one of just 24 fencers who qualified for the NCAA Championships in women’s saber where she became an All-American. She's the Saber Newcomer of the Year awardee from the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association and her team’s MVP with the most regular-season wins. On top of all this, she's making waves through her research and advocacy work around athlete body negativity.Read Megumi's essayVisit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Georgina Love, a foil and epee fencer from Central Florida. Georgina, who is fondly known as George, recently showcased her tenacity at the North American Cup in St. Louis in April 2023, where she won gold medals in both the Vet-60 Women's Foil and the Vet-60 Women's Epee events. In a thrilling final foil bout, George turned an early 5-0 deficit into a 10-9 victory, triumphing over the reigning World Champion.George's journey to the pinnacle of the fencing world has been anything but conventional. Her passion for the sport was ignited in 2001 when she discovered a local rec center fencing class in Fort Pierce, Florida. For seven years, she honed her skills there until the program was shuttered. However, her dedication to the sport remained unscathed, and she kept pushing her boundaries, competing in tournaments and embracing the thrill of competition.In 2015, she took over her local fencing club, ensuring the survival of the sport in her area, and around seven years ago, she began training with Coach Daniel Bucur in Melbourne, Florida. This partnership has led her to new heights in the fencing world, deepening her understanding and enjoyment of the sport.Apart from being a fencer, George is a woman of many talents. She's an oil painter who teaches classes, a horse rider, and a museum worker who installs exhibits. In this episode, we're going to delve into the multifaceted life and career of this extraordinary fencer.Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Ralf Bissdorf, the Women’s Foil National Coach for Team USA!Ralf is a two-time Olympian with Team Germany, a silver medalist at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and spent more than 500 days ranked as the No. 1 men’s foil fencer in the world.  In 2001, he was awarded the Silver Laurel of the Federal Republic of Germany — the highest award for a sportsperson in Germany.Then he shifted to coaching and has been just as successful there — considered by many to be a mastermind in the coaching field.  We'll be talking about his journey, his goals for Team USA and his insights into the sport.Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Daria Schneider, head coach of the women’s and men’s fencing programs at Harvard University. Schneider took the helm at Harvard in 2019 and immediately led the Crimson to a men’s Ivy League championship in her first season.  Before Harvard, she was the head coach at Cornell and assistant coach at Columbia.  And before coaching, Schneider was, as you might guess, a successful saber fencer in her own right. She was the 2007 NCAA champion at Columbia, the 2011 national champion and a two-time bronze medalist at the Senior World Championships.  Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Arya Chavan, a 13-year-old saber fencer with the Zeta Fencing club of Ashland, Massachusetts, who has already achieved junior national points and won a silver medal in her first cadet team event.  Get ready to be inspired as we discuss her journey, challenges, and aspirations in fencing, as well as her dedication to her education and other interests.Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Zach Moss, who has been the head coach of the Northwestern fencing program since 2016. Under his leadership, the Wildcats have achieved national recognition and consistent success, including a program-best third place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2021.  In this conversation, we dive into the world of collegiate fencing and learn more about Coach Moss's journey and his insights on coaching and the sport of fencing.Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Ana Irene Delgado, a member of the Executive Committee of the FIE, the International Fencing Federation.Delgado hails from Panama and has fenced for the Central American nation at FIE World Cups as well as the Central American and Caribbean Games.Among her many volunteer roles, Delgado leads the working group known as “Fencing for the Planet.” Her passions include protecting the environment, empowering women and expanding access to sports.She’s also a Panamanian lawyer, diplomat and politician and was the youngest Panamanian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Iceland.We chat with Delgado about her fencing journey, how fencing differs in Latin America and the genesis of the "Fencing for the Planet" program.

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Philippe Bennett, a veteran foil fencer and member of the Fencers Club in New York — a storied fencing club located right next to the Empire State Building. He’s been a member there for nearly 50 years and currently serves as its Chair. He has represented Team USA at the Veteran World Championship six times, at the Pan American Veteran Championship three times and has won medals in Vet events at North American Cups too many times to count.In addition to being an active fencer and an intellectual property litigation lawyer, Philippe started the company Radical Fencing to help our sport benefit from new technologies. In this conversation, we talk about all that and more with Philippe. Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Aleks Ochocki, Team USA’s women’s saber national coach.Before taking the reins of our talented women’s saber program, Aleks was the assistant saber coach at Notre Dame, where he coached multiple team and individual NCAA champions.  Aleks is also the head coach and founder of the Advance Fencing and Fitness Academy in New Jersey.  And we haven’t even talked about his career as a fencer. As an athlete, Aleks won a national title in every age group starting from Youth-12 all the way through seniors.  He’s a proud Nittany Lion, having graduated from Penn State, where he won the NCAA Individual Saber Championship in 2009 and 2012.  In this conversation, we ask Aleks about his career so far, his advice for saber fencers and where he sees our women’s saber program going in the next several years.Visit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Jen Oldham, a fencing coach, innovator and pioneer of the women’s saber program in the United States.  Oldham is a successful saber fencer, having competed for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and at the international level with several top 32 finishes and a bronze team medal.  She has parlayed that experience in many ways, including as a coach — she’s currently a three-weapon fencing master with Forge Fencing in Durham, North Carolina — and also as an advocate for increasing the diversity, unity and equity within fencing.  Learn about WFencingCheck out the Forge Fencing websiteVisit the USA Fencing websiteFollow USA Fencing on InstagramRead a transcript for this episode--First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA FencingHost: Bryan WendellCover art: Manna CreationsTheme music: Brian Sanyshyn