Friendship, advice, and self discovery

"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe unto him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."
-- Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.


Every once in a while I find myself struggling with my choice to keep fencing rather than pursue the path more traveled-graduate school and a career. Although my convictions to train for Beijing are strong and true, there are many times where I invite doubt to cloud my perspective.

Last week Thursday was one of those days. I came home from practice and received a call from one of my old fencing friends who has long since retired from the sport. He was a great American fencer who set records on the international scene at the same time as I was making incredible results. He would often tell me that we were alike in our pursuits and desires to win. But unlike me, he quit after his second Olympics to pursue a very lucrative career in finance.

He is older than me and I always looked up to him like a mentor or big brother. Even now I find myself seeking his approval therefore when we spoke I was hesitant to approach the subject of my decision to fence. I was waiting for him to say something like-you're wasting your time, this takes away from your career goals, you're better than that, etc. However, he didn't say anything about it and his silence was even more disheartening because I just knew that he didn't even want to talk about it.

Sometimes one person or friend can shake your foundation and cause you to rethink everything. This is even more true when there is even the slightest amount of self doubt about a decision that has been made. In some cases the questions could be good but in this particular case I found myself shaken and worried. I was worried that I wasn't confident enough in my decision in order to defend it to my long time friend. I was worried that I still needed someone's approval and validation. How could he know everything that had led me to this point? How could he know what it feels like to compete again? How could he know how my future would play out?

I became rather depressed as I began spinning negative thoughts into a larger and larger web. But then-I received another phone call and this time it was from one of my best friends from college, Mikey Lee. There is a picture posted of him on an earlier blog of when I was just leaving California.

It's funny how serendipitous this moment was because it was at the very moment I needed a friend to lift me up. I spilled the beans to Mikey and let him know that I was having some serious trepidation about moving home to pursue fencing. I told him how I felt like all it seemed like everyone around me was moving in a forward trajectory and I was the only one moving backwards. I even gave him the example of how he went from the gubernatorial race to running a California city council campaign-and I went from working on the gubernatorial race to living at home and working out all day. It was like I went from budding star to desperate rich housewife.

Then he said the following which I wrote down, "What you are having is a typical grass is greener problem. The question really is,are you going to enjoy what you're doing in the moment or compare it to what you could be doing?

Really think about what he said and if it doesn't strike you, then you weren't really reading the words. How many times do we second guess ourselves because we believe that somewhere out there is a better path? How often do we doubt that we can make he right decisions for our own lives? Why do we believe that others' approval of our choices provide a better validation than our own approval? More importantly, why couldn't I trust myself and believe that I could still be successful even if I was taking time out to make the Olympic team? Sounds ludicrous writing it out but I often doubt that I am a successful person.

Then I thought about what Lisa Slater said to me this week after shooting some photos of me for my portfolio. She told me to look back at the photos that she had taken of me starting at age 13 until now and to note the marked difference in the brightness and playfulness of my smile. At age 13 I was a goofy kid who would crack a smile just because I was thinking about fencing, school, friends, family, etc. And then if you look at a picture of me as the Olympian in 2000, you can see someone worried and stressed about results and success. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Granted life is different at 13 than it is at 25 but it doesn't have to be so serious. Somewhere along the line when I was trying out for the Olympic team, trying to get good grades at Stanford, trying to fit in, moving from place to place, I lost what it really meant to enjoy the process of living.

Trying out for the Olympic games shouldn't define me or shut me out of my own future, but it should become part of a more complex fabric and meaning of what it is to be Iris Zimmermann.

An uncomfortable truth

Not to overstate the obvious for east coasters but

IT'S HOT OUT HERE!!!!

Fencing in a non air conditioned facility during a heat wave - - not as exhilarating as one would think.

The last few days we have moved practice to the mornings to keep from melting onto the floor into a puddle under our masks. I am still unsure how we managed to move into a building that doesn't have air conditioning, only a few windows and a garage door. The garage door is a remnant from when the space was used as a storage facility.

Nat, my coach, tried to reassure me that "that which does not kill us makes us stronger". However, being a PhD and an eloquent speaker decided to disguise her message in a story.

Nat told me about a physiological study that was done on German soldiers stationed in Africa. The soldiers were being moved from one point in Africa to the German base camp for training in another part of Africa. One of the groups had the misfortune of riding on a train with a non-functioning air conditioning system. Of course they complained the entire ride (much like I was during practice) but it turns out that when these soldiers began training in the sweltering heat they were less susceptible to heat related injuries and stress. The moral of the story-it's hot in Africa and I should just wipe the sweat off my face and continue fencing.


And.....


This week's episode of the Young, Athletic, and Broke is titled, "When do patience and perseverance intersect?".

I have decide to take any disappointment I feel by the lack of response from the mayor about a job and the slow pace of donations and turn it into some positive fuel for perseverance.


Storyline for the Mayor of Rochester:

Once again I am going to to go the athletic club on Friday morning at an amazingly crazy hour - 6:30am (don't let any athlete let you believe they actually get up that early unless they swim or row). I think this encounter will be rather awkward but I think politicians are used to those awkward "what did I say/promise" moments. Well, at least I hope our current president has some of those moments or at least those moments where he recognizes the fact that years of taking drugs could possibly limit brain function.


Storyline on what it's like to live as an athlete:

I have decided to take matters into my own hands and create a portfolio for myself in order to solicit local Rochester companies and businesses for sponsorship. It doesn't seem like it should be that hard to raise $35,000. I have a photo shoot today for photos to include on both my portfolio and some posters my friend will sell at his frame shop.

The fact is that if I didn't live with parents at the moment I wouldn't be able to afford to train. I see a trainer twice a week which costs $55 each session. Being an athlete is not so cheap. I also need new foils which cost over $100. Fencing is not a cheap sport.


Storyline on what it's like for a fencer making a comeback:

I have spent the last month getting used to the new games and rules of foil (my weapon). In the past I was able to dominate my opponents through strength and power-I would overrun my opponents by pushing and attacking them. Sounds kind of brutal when you write it in a blog. Anyways, the rules of the game have changed and patience is now key but you have to find a way to cross patience with short bursts of action. The attacks have to be calculated and disguised much more cleverly than before.


So what do these three stories reveal about the answer to today's question - Where do patience and perseverance intersect?


Answer:Patience actually becomes perseverance when action is required.

What do Floyd Landis, Justin Gatlin, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have in common?

Good biceps perhaps? I wish.

It's not just Mr. Universe/the Terminator/California governors that use steroids anymore.

Much to my dismay Floyd Landis' sample tested positive for high levels of testosterone. If his second sample does not exonerate him that he stands to be the first biker to be stripped of his Tour de France title. Of course, Landis claims that he has never taken performance enhancing drugs and that the raised levels of testosterone are due to a thyroid condition. I'm no medical expert so I couldn't even tell you if any of this is even feasible but it sounds kind of fishy. For his and mostly my sake, I hope he is right and this is just a fluke.

About a week after the news of Floyd's steroid scandal broke, Justin Gatlin, Olympic and world 100m champion tested positive for testosterone. Now Gatlin faces a lifetime suspension given this is his second infraction. During the 2000 Olympic Games I heard a lot of rumors in the village about the use of steroids throughout track and field events-I wouldn't be surprised if Gatlin is suspended. I wonder what is going to happen to all the world record times he set?

This news is nothing new. Athletes have been taking performance enhancing drugs for a long time now. The stakes are high. A high level Olympic athlete is surrounded by pressures that are often out of their control and more importantly, there is very little seperating the athlete from taking last or taking first. Considering all this, I can understand how some athletes take dangerous risks to win.

I did some thinking and some reading about the lengths athletes go to in order to be the best. I had a little incident of my own during the 2000 Olympic Games. I found out the woman I lost to in the individual event tested positive for the human growth hormone. It turns out when they tested her blood in Italy it was positive but because they only did urine samples at the Olympics she was clean according to the Olympic standards.

I came across two articles last week that dealt with the issue of performance enhancement methods. One of the articles iis from the NY Times and the other article is from the Wall Street Journal-both outlining methods used by athletes to enhance their performance outside the use of drugs.

The first article is from the New York Times about WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) trying to ban the use of altitude tents as a training method.



The picture is of an athlete training in a chamber that simulates high altitude by decreasing the amount of oxygen in the room. The tent is similar to this chamber but substitute the stairmaster and bike for a matress and pillows.

Sleeping at high altititudes can increase red blood cell counts which can significantly increase activity levels given that more oxygen can be carried to the muscles. Again, I am not a medical expert so you should read the article to make sure that all my "scientific facts" are accurate.

The fact that WADA wants to ban these tents is a little controversial. Some people already live and train at high altitudes-the United States Olympic Training Center is in Colorado Springs. So the question is-why can't someone else at sea level buy an expensive tent to simulate what other athletes have access to? Aren't we just trying to even the playing field? Should we ban working out in high altitudes altogether? Good luck with that.

Click here to read the NY Times article.

The second article from the Wall Street Journal this past weekend is about how athletes use neurofeedback games and tests to change their responses to stress. No, this scientific method isn't being banned. In fact this method was used most recently by the Italian World Cup soccer team.



I just thought it was interesting that you can actually change the way your brain works and responds with expensive technology. Staying in the zone is just as important if not more important than being physically capable.

In the end, I understand that Floyd Landis has done something incredible despite the steroids. Performance enhancing drugs can only take you so far but you still need to be an athlete with all the right components-spirit, drive, talent, mental and physical ability, a good team, etc. I hope that Landis' second sample exonorates him but we will have to wait and see. As for Schwarzenegger-steroids may not help him win the election but he will be back for his gubernatorial sequel.

Penn State camp - Meet the badgers

Meet the badgers. And here I thought Jersey girls followed all the rules.

Well, these Jersey girls were definitely not interested following any of the camp rules.

It was simple-don't go into downtown Penn State without a counselor. Alas, much to these girls' dismay they were caught unaccompanied while trying to get some ice cream in downtown State college.

As a punishment I decided that I would get them up for a run at 7am. I obviously came up with this idea without thinking since I too would have to be up by 7am. What was I thinking?

These Jersey girls stuck together even when times got tough. They decided to show up to the early morning run wearing all black with face paint under their eyes. I guess black eyeliner can also substitute for war paint.

The most interesting thing about the morning-despite my efforts to tire them out with laps and sprints, these girls laughed and smiled the entire time. I think we even bonded over the whole situation because they made me an honorary badger. I can't believe they still had enough energy to make it through the entire day of camp.

Although the long hours of the camp were sometimes difficult to manage, and the girls sometimes broke the rules, teaching young adults how to fence was definitely worth it.

LANDIS WINS!

Today was the first day of coaching at the Penn State camp but more importantly today was the day that Floyd Landis beat all odds to win the Tour de France!!!

Week two

So this is the end of week number two. Lessons with Nat (my coach) are going really well. I feel like I am making a lot of progress in learning new fencing tricks. It's interesting, I have been fencing for twenty years but I can learn something new everyday.

I also had a Russian language lesson today. Ira, or as it turns out her name is actually Galina, was full of laughs. She and I had a short lesson with her rattling off in Russian and pausing every once in a while to see if I was still listening. I would say "da" (yes) or "panyatna" (I understand) and she would keep going. Let's just say I'm not so sure about her teaching methods.

I'm renting a car tomorrow and going to Penn State University for a week. The coach there asked me help out with their summer camp. I'm excited to have a chance to coach young fencers but I'm also really excited to have a car to myself. I've been sharing the car with my Mom since I got back-it's kind of interesting having my Mom drop me off and pick me up from fencing practice. I'm fifteen again.

By the way, Floyd Landis has been doing some amazing things at the Tour de France. Apparently after having worn the yellow jersey for several days on the tour he ran out of gas and ended up eight minutes behind the leader. For most people this type of finish so late in the game would put him out of contention to win but, since this is Landis we are talking about, he didn't give up. He got on his bike the next day and left his opponents in the dust, making up seven and a half minutes and ended up in third place. Landis still has the time trial left to make up the rest of the time. Go Floyd Landis! This story is amazing-hope you get a chance to watch.

Have a great weekend!

An Inspiration

Bikers are never at a lack for melodrama. From Lance to this guy, Floyd Landis, it seems like these athletes can endure just about anything.

An article in this week's New York Times Magazine told the story of Floyd Landis, the successful biker, a man touted as the next Lance Armstrong, and oh yeah, an athlete with a hip that causes him to walk with a limp and reconsider his pain tolerance.

A few years ago Landis was in a car accident that fractured his hip which could have ruined his biking career. He has fought past it only to find the joint slowly degenerating into something resembling a cauliflower shaped mass.

The following photos are x-rays of his hip.



The first one is after after his car crash, the second is with pins holding the joint together, and the third is of his hip now where you can hardly see any of the bone.

Despite his constant pain and lack of hip bone Landis has been very successful at his sport. In fact just a few days ago on July 13th he donned the infamous yellow jersey after winning one of the stages of the tour.

Landis has promised his doctors and his wife that he is going to get his hip replaced after the Tour. The problem is no one knows how well the surgery and recovery will go-the bottom line is that he won't be the same man. But for now, he's Floyd Landis, champion biker and medal contender in the Tour de France.

If you want to read the New York Times Magazine article click here. You can also read about he's endured enough pain to try and grind a groove in his cartilidge so the degenerated hip joint has some mobility. Sounds like fun!

You can also keep track of how he's doing in the Tour de France by clicking here.

So, why did I choose to highlight Landis on this blog?

I read this article after a weekend of trying to deal with knee and hip problems. Actually, it's more like eight years of trying to deal with knee and hip problems.

In 1998 I had two surgeries on my left knee to get rid of torn cartilidge on the outside portion of the meniscus. In 2004 I had another surgery on my right knee-same surgery, same problem. Since then I have had pain in both knees and problems with my right hip and back because of compensation issues.

Some athletes recover very quickly from these surgeries because they seem minor. The surgery itself is considered ambulatory so I never even spent the night in the hospital. The problem is-fencing is a high impact sport that puts the knees and back in strange and unnatural positions. Not to mention that fencing creates assymetrical imbalances in the musculature-i.e. the lead leg is bigger than the trailing leg, one arm is bigger, one side of the back is stronger, one side of the abs is stronger, etc.

During each practice it takes about 30-45 minutes for the pain in my knees and hips to go away. Even though everything hurts I continue the warm up so that at the end of that 45 minutes the pain is tolerable and the adrenaline kicks in. I have often joked that I take advil just to warm-up for the warm-up. In the back of my mind I am waiting for and dreading the next tear, the next surgery, the next sharp pain.

BUT, my story and Landis' story aren't unique. Athletes push through pain each day, each practice, and each competition. I think that people worship athletes for just these reasons-even physical pain is no match for the feeling of that win, that chance to get that medal or that jersey, or the chance to hear your national anthem over the loud speakers. Sometimes I think we are all borderline crazy, but at the core of every athlete is an understanding that the will to win is stronger than the pain.



"Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."

--Muhammed Ali

Donations

Some great news on the 501(c)(3) donation front. I finally found a tax deductable organization that will accept donations on my behalf.

This organization is Rochester based and focused. I have been receiving grants from this organization since I began competing internationally in 1996.

If you or someone you know is interested in funding my Olympic dream you can send donations to the following address:

Greater Rochester Amateur Athletic Federation (GRAAF)
c/o Bob Silver
P.O. Box 637
Fairport, NY 14450


If you have questions, please feel free to write me and I will provide you with Bob Silver's number.

Meeting with the Mayor

6:30am meeting at the gym with the mayor of Rochester?

Check.

It turns out Mayor Duffy is a down to Earth kind of guy. No, not the "down to Earth" guy that everyone thinks Dubya Bush is (abstract of a quote from USA Today this morning, "We talked about some stuff. Some things I can tell you and some things are secret." Genius. No really, you can't make this stuff up. It's pure genius.)

Back to Rochester's Mayor. We spoke for about ten minutes before he got on the treadmill for his early morning run. I handed him my resume and he promised to get back to me. The most interesting part-I believe he will. He made sure to give me a time frame in which I could expect a response. I am not so sure if he's a politician, I'm still checking.

Hopefully by the middle of next week I'll have more updates.

Have a good Friday!

Russky Lesson One

I had my first Russian language lesson today with Ira. I think every Russian woman I know is named Ira. I think my host family tried to call me Ira when I lived in Moscow.

I am a little bit iffy about Teacher Ira-not sure about her teaching methods. In the event I didn't pronounce a word correctly she would repeat the word, and then I would repeat the word, and she would say NO and then repeat the word louder. She would get louder and louder until finally I just sighed and she decided we had to move onto the next word. Not sure if "screaming" is the top teaching method of the year. Perhaps I should think about taking sign language lessons.

Competition Schedule

Some of you asked for my competition schedule for next year. Stop by and watch some fencing if you're in the area!

DATE COMPETITION LOCATION

Sept 30-Oct 7, 2006 World Championships Turin, Italy

Oct 14, 2006 Pan American Zone Champs Venezuela

Dec 19, 2006 National Cup TBD

Jan 13, 2006 National Cup TBD

Feb 17-18, 2007 World Cup Salzburg, Austria

Feb 24-25 World Cup Leipzig, Germany

Mar 3-4 World Cup Gdansk, Poland

Mar 10-11 World Cup St Petersburg, Russia

Mar 17-18 World Cup Budapest, Hungary

March 24-25 World Cup Marseille, France

April 21 National Cup TBD

May 5-6 World Cup Seoul, Korea

May 12-13 World Cup Shanghai, China

May 19-20 World Cup Tokyo, Japan

May 26-27 World Cup Cairo, Egypt

June 2-3 World Cup Buenos Aires, Argentina

June 13-14 World Cup Havana, Cuba

June 21-22 World Cup Las Vegas, USA

June 30-July 7 National Champs TBD

July 14-21 Pam American Champs Rio

Aug 11-18 World University Games TBD


I will fill in the TBD's in this blog post once I know them. I won't be going to all these competitions but I'll be at most of them. Let me know if you want to meet up with me-sometimes I spend more than a few days in a location to train. More than likely I'll be making my way to Moscow after and/or before the St. Petersburg tournament.

Just two more...

I had to put this up because the other photo of Taualai and I in a previous post was no good. Thanks T-Lai for the pics!

Photo Post II - Iris "The Fearless"

Photo Descriptions:

1.The infamous Anthony "Buckie" Leach-my former coach.

2.Here I am fencing a German girl who knows where. Just had to get an action shot in.

3. This is 1999 in Seoul, Korea when I took the bronze at World Championships. From left, Sabine Bau (German, no longer fences), Valentina Vezzali (Italian, still fences and has won the last two Olympic games along with being the most decorated fencer in history. She's the Michael Jordan of fencing.) Svetlana Boiko (Russian, a power house. She's in her thirties now and still fencing.)

4.The photos didn't put themselves in the right order but this photo is from 1997. These are some of my friends on the Junior World Championship team. The guy on the left, Cliff Bayer, was one of the best American fencers and one of my best friends. He is now retired from fencing and working in NYC doing something amazing.

5.This was at World Championships in 1999 to get to the top-four. On the left is Giovanna Trillini and I am on the right. Significance: my coach came back from a trip to Italy when I was about 11 or 12 and decided that he would model me after Giovanna Trillini (Olympic Champion in 1992 and living fencing legend). This was the first chance I ever had to fence her and I beat her in one of the most amazing matches I've ever had. I was down 12-8 going into the final round and I ended up beating her 15-12. I have fenced her several times since then but we had the opportunity to fence at the Sydney Olympic games, and she beat me there where it counted most.

I have been told that this girl or that girl in American fencing has been modeled to fence like me. A parent of a 13 year old (who is actually pretty amazing) gushes everytime she tells me, "my daughter fences just like you!" I am so flattered and I can only hope that these girls have an easier path in fencing (without too many injuries) and break all of my records.

That's it for the memorabilia for now. I'm going to go ice my knees after my first day back at the Rochester Fencing Club. My lesson with my coach Nat Goodhartz was amazing, and I look forward to another one-on-one lesson tomorrow morning. Until then-have a good Monday!

Photo Post I - Iris the Golden Years

Photo Descriptions:

1.Me with fencing stuff. I'm 14 in this photo. Haven't changed much-have I? Give or take a few pounds I guess.

2.Jumping around a bit-I'm about 11 in this photo. Can you guess which one was me? Felicia won the tournament and I took eighth. I think it was a national junior competition (Under-20 age category). The significance of the photo-the gym is at Stanford. Little did I know, six years later I would be fencing NCAA meets there.

3. Here I am in Paris being tossed up in the air after having won the Cadet World Championships (Cadet=under 17 age category). Significance of this photo: I was 14 when I won, the youngest person to ever win this event. Also, I was the first American to ever win a world championship. Older/retired fencers from the states were there watching and they told me later that they cried when they heard the American national anthem. Funny story-I was just happy to be up on the stage so that the cute french fencer was able to see me. :) Haven't changed much have I? Give or take a few relationships.

4. A picture of me and Felicia. Significance of the photo: I'm holding my cadet world championship medal and my sister is holding her medal for winning the Junior world cup title. Felicia was the first to win this as well-world cup title means that she was ranked number one in the junior world standings after a series of about 10 or more world cups. So here we are-in all our golden glory.

SUPERMAN

This is a little off topic but I am going to use this public forum for a little promotion.

I just got back from watching the best movie! Superman Returns.

The best parts of the movie (this could be a spoiler if you haven't seen the movie):

1. Lois Lane rescued Superman.

2. Even when Superman is laying in the hospital he is still able to maintain that little curl in his hair.

If you haven't seen this movie, hop to it! What are you still doing there? Just come back after the movie and read my blog.

Home Sweet Home

It's a rough life. I woke up early this morning for a yoga class at Mid-Town (what my gym will be called from now on). After my "vigorous" stretching/yoga class I went for a massage. This is all a far stretch from my days as a scheduler on the Westly for Govenor campaign, where I spent each day camped in front of a computer-stressed and angry. I loved my job but scheduling someone else's life isn't as easy as it seems, especially when so many people are pulling in different directions.

Gayle, the masseus, is a friend of mine and I've known her for years. Her daughter was a young fencer at the Rochester Fencing Center when I was still on the top of the international charts. Gayle told me today that her daughter, Ilana, used to psych herself up to fence older or intimidating fencers by telling herself that she was "a little Iris". I wasn't sure what to do with that information especially since I've come so far from being the Iris that she once knew. I think that I sometimes look to that same young phenom Iris Zimmermann for inspiration-she was fearless.

Gayle worked on my aches and pains for over two hours. The time flew by while we talked about "the old days" at the fencing club (I left the club six years ago). The club went from an Olympic powerhouse to a youth based organization in under five years. Much of that was facilitated by my old coach, Buckie Leach, leaving (abandoning) the club for more money in NYC. I am sure I'll write volumes about my relationship with him in later blogs but needless to say he has left an indeleble scar on everyone who was closely linked to the RFC.

At the end of the massage she handed me a glass of juice and only asked for twenty dollars. For all my complaining about Rochester being a small podunk kinda town I realized that it had something that most cities lacked, a pulse, a heart, and an undeniable conscience.

When I trained in NYC for the 2004 games, I used to go to a masseuse that charged me a hundred dollars per session. She used to tell me about her "useless boyfriend" and all the troubles she was having raising her daughter and at the end of the massage she told me I was "too nice to be a good competitive fencer". I think I should have given her the hundred dollars and told her to skip the massage and enter therapy.

The simple fact is Rochester may not be a rich city like New York or San Francisco, but what people lack in money they make up for with heart and loyalty.

In all honesty I understand that my current schedule doesn't seem like training but I have spent the past week trying to get my body ready for the start of the real training on Monday. My knees aren't doing that well but with this extra stretching and care I will be able to make it through the week without too many aches and pains.

On a side note I have decided to sign up for Russian language tutoring while I am searching for a job. An older couple in Rochester has about two or three students that they teach Russian to. Granted they have lived in the states for about thirty years, they can still teach me grammar and just speak to me in Russian for an hour each week. I'm looking forward to my first lesson on Wednesday after my workout with Dave.

I am hoping to start carrying my (my father's) digital camera around to add some color to this blog. I am also hoping to get the scanner working and hooked up to this computer so I can show you some "vintage Iris fencing photos".

Saw Pirates it was okay. Has anyone seen Superman yet? I think I'm going to try and drag Mama Zimmermann to a show this evening.

Did you know?

Fencing is one of the original sports in the modern Olympics. Here's a pic from the first Olympic Games in 1896. The founder of the Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin was known to pick up a sword now and then. To learn more about fencing and its history you can go to the International Olympic Committee website click here.

Olympic News

So I'm not the only one.

Apparently Olympic Swimmer Amanda Beard has decided to go for another run at the Olympic Games-I think this is trial number three or four for her. I remember when she was a phenom at fourteen. She and I are about the same age and have been training for about the same amount of time-twenty years. It's really nice to know that I'm not the only one out there making the same sacrifices. However, her sacrifices don't include a pay cut since she does make $15,000 for each speaking engagement.

Read the article about Amanda here

On another note. I am set on a path to speak with Rochester's mayor, Rob Duffy about a part-time job with the city government. I approached his personal trainer at my gym-Mid-Town Athletic Club, and he said he'll pass him my card and I could probably meet/harrass him after the workout at 6:30am (man, this guy's dedicated) next Tuesday. I wonder how he'll react to a half-asian fencer girl approaching him right after his workout?

I envision something like this:

Me (In my head I'm wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt-or should I go the distance and wear a suit to the gym?):"Hi Mr. Mayor, here's a towel...and my resume."

Mayor Duffy: "Um, can I at least get a drink? You're in front of the water fountain."

Me: "Riiiightttt..."

Lastly, I am still working on a 501(c)(3)/non-profit so I can receive donations. Recently my club in Rochester was denied the ability to start a non-profit arm but I am looking into an organization called U.S. Athletic Trust to help me out. Updates on that tomorrow.

Alright, have a great Friday! Anyone going to go see Pirates of the Caribbean?

National Championships Update

I just returned home today after spending a few days competing at National Championships in Atlanta.

After a slow start to the competition I fought my way to third place. This was no easy task considering that my side of the direct elimination bracket was filled with former National Champions and Olympians while the other side of the bracket was filled with everyone under 18 years of age. Sometimes fencing depends on the luck of the draw-sometimes you are paired up with someone who you can beat easily and sometimes you are paired up with someone that gives you trouble every time.

In the final-8 I fenced Erinn Smart, 2004 Olympian and repeat National Champion. Erinn and I have been competing against each other since we were 15 and we went head to head in 2004 for a spot on the olympic Team. She and I will also be competing again for a spot on the 2008 team. Erinn's brother Keeth Smart is a two-time Olympian and top ranked sabre fencer. (Tutorial on the different fencing weapons to come soon). In the end I beat Erinn 15-10 and moved to the round of four.

In the final-4 I faced Emily Cross. Emily's list of accomplishments would take up this entire blog but among them include several time Cadet and Junior World Champion. She will also be competing for a spot on the 2008 Olympic Team-that's if Harvard will give her the time off. Emily beat me in the third round 15-12 and I placed third overall. (Another tutorial on fencing competitions rules and regulations to come).

My third place and hard fought finish solidly placed me on the World Championship Team that will compete in Turin, Italy in late September and early October. It's going to be a lot of fun since we get to stay in the Olympic village. Someone told me we are going to use bikes to get around-not sure how I feel about this. The last time I rode a bike was on Stanford campus and it was always a "ride at your own risk because freshman who don't know how to ride bikes will crash into you" kind of thing.

All of my energies over the next few months will be devoted to getting ready for this competition. There are no official national or international competitions between now and September so it's all about hours at the fencing club and athletic club. I am looking forward to being sore again-it's been a while.

I am also going to be putting up the 2006-2007 competition schedule in the next few days. There is a lot of work to be done this summer and I will be updating this blog on a daily basis so stay tuned.

Please feel free to comment or suggest anything that you would like to see on this blog or if you have any questions about the sport of fencing.

Hope you all had a great Fourth of July!

Atlanta National Championships

I am leaving for National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia tomorrow morning at 6am. I will be fencing the individual event on Monday and the team event on Tuesday. I'll have updates on Wednesday afternoon when I return home.

Doing well at Nationals would secure my spot on the World Championship team that goes to Torino, Italy in October.

If you want to see results before Wednesday please log onto the US Fencing website.

Have a great Fourth of July weekend!