Fencing: The Fenced In Podcast

Fencing: The Fenced In Podcast

By Fencers: Christopher Mollard, Ben PeggsSportsHealth & Fitness
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Fencing: The Fenced In Podcast episodes

  • Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic special!
    A bit of a delay and some overdue updates…Ben is flying to Tokyo and Chris is recovering from a broken rib!
    What a great opportunity to to hear about what goes on in an Olympic and Paralympic village - sparring partners, holding camps, who gets into the village…Ben speaks from personal experience! Ben also has a story about how he got stuck in the Olympic village in Rio 2016 having lost his chaperone…not to be repeated!
    We also have our review of the Olympics…
    …stand out moments
    …how the results compared against the expectations
    …surprises and unexpected performances
    …
    And discuss when should you change tactic? Overall it depends on whether the mistake is technical or tactical.
    We out the fencing couples, well done to the fencing powerhouse couples and their Tokyo successes!
    How much longer will the fencers in their mid-late thirties look to keep competing?
    Ben talks about GB's hopes in Tokyo! And the prospect of flying
    Did you know that theParalympians are not part of Team GB? They are different organisations with different logos - Paralympics GB
    What will happen with the FIE season that’s been announced and meant to be starting next month. We shouldn’t be ruled by ‘fear of missing out'.
    Getting back to a life of relative normality and how we phase back into that at different times.
    51 min
  • “We are part of an historic Olympics"...the Women’s Foil Dream Team competing in the Tokyo 'Pandemic' Olympic Games
    “We are part of an historic Olympics"...the Women’s Foil Dream Team competing in the Tokyo 'Pandemic' Olympic Games
    We’re celebrating 🇨🇦 Day🍁 by bringing you an interview from the Women’s Foil Dream Team that are going to the Tokyo Olympics (sometimes referred to as the Pandemic Games) in FEWER THAN 30 days! Here’s a quick insight in their own words…“we’re quirky all the time, banter is our middle name”.
    In this whirlwind of an episode we get to know 3 of the 4 that will be on the plane (Jessica unfortunately couldn’t make the interview), how it felt to qualify pre-Covid and how they have dealt with a requirement to train at an elite level when the world was locked down. Despite this, it brought them closer together as a unit. Something that was especially difficult considering that they were scattered around North America. This group is obviously close, aided by the fact that they don’t see each other as competition to one another, which enables them to push forwards as opposed to holding each other back.
    This summer's Olympics is a new chapter for most of the team with only Eleanor able to qualify for Rio 2016, which came with some surprisingly difficult emotions before any fencing had even started before going on to beat a legend of the modern game. They reckon that this experience will prove vital, which we don’t hesitate to believe considering comments from other Olympians that we have interviewed!
    Two of the big questions are, how will this Olympics be different to the others and what effect will this have? One thing is that they try not to look at the negative parts and focus on the fact that they get to go as a team. One key quote here is: “knowing the emotions that are to come and not freaking out when they happen”
    And in achieving what is a lifelong goal, Eleanor reflects on how reaching your goal doesn’t actually transform your life…something we can all relate to no matter the goal.
    We also touch on how female athletes have, essentially, been treated as small men and the implications of that. This directly translates into how women’s foil is different to men’s foil and how the wrong attitudes can be addressed...does this come from stigmas when starting to fence at a younger age and comfort in hitting others?
    Despite the challenges of 2020, it proved to be a fruitful time for the squad as they were all able to turn their other talents into some more serious projects.
    Eleanor started Lenny Garb, her own art and drawings on Canadian made and revamped clothing through embroidery and silk screens:
    Insta: https://www.instagram.com/lennygarb.revamps/
    Website: https://www.lennygarb.com/
    Alanna started paintings by Lanna, a business when selling her art when COVID fully hit:
    Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaintingsByLanna
    Insta: https://www.instagram.com/paintingsbylanna/
    Kelleigh transitiones from a personal trainer to start her fencing specific strength and conditioning business:
    Insta: https://www.instagram.com/lionethik/
    Website: https://www.lionethik.com/
    As always, please continue to support us on our new Patreon page, follow us on social media and make sure to rate and review wherever you get your podcasts!
    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fencedinpodcast
    Insta: https://www.instagram.com/fencedinpodcast/
    Twitter: https://Twitter.com/fencedinpodcast
    #fencing #tokyo #olympics #canada #🇨🇦#womens #foil #awesome #athletes #elite #art #strengthandconditioning #fencedin #🤺 #🇯🇵 #🗼#pandemic #games #pandemicgames #training
    A few mainstream places you can listen:
    Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fencing-the-fenced-in-podcast/id1505770635?i=1000527508125
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7CETVuYkhXoyzQWAsrXzBD?si=q1yLdFucTCGL30H7X_nXPA&dl_branch=1
    1 hr 5 min
  • “Routine is a way of getting a colossal amount of work done” says GB’s ex world #1 and world championship silver medalist, Richard’s Kruse
    After taking his first real break from fencing since he started in 1994, Richard joins us to discuss his career, travels and all sorts of nonsense while sipping his afternoon Oolong tea.
    We go through training habits and philosophies and how he believes that he managed to turn his hobby into his profession with some tips for fencers that want to do the same (including how he deals with jet lag).
    We also talk about the Olympic qualification process, a topic that Richard is extremely well positioned to comment on considering that he took a different route to each Olympic Games he qualified for: individual ranking, zonal place, wildcard and team ranking. Which begs the question, are individual and team fencing really two different sports?
    There’s so much in here that it’s hard to write about it all but just a few more topics which include: playing the bagpipes in the park, we get to meet his lovely wife (who comments on how he is at home), hearing some of his many linguistics skills and how Ben made it into Croatian folklore.
    1 hr 14 min
  • Who is the Federer of fencing? What makes fencers from Guadeloupe so successful? The Olympics are on!

    Be brave, have fun, stay curious.  Play the game.

    This is our latest motto, which will always keep us going! Right?


    Ben and Chris talk about the latest developments in their training and what we can all continue to work on from home and what might change with the return of fencing looming…


    We cover our thoughts on the recent Sabre and Epee Olympic qualifiers (this was recorded before the Foil event in Doha) and label one athlete as the Federer of the fencing world.  Of course, we also talk about the Olympics and Ben’s experience as an Olympic training partner for Rio 2016.


    We also cover why gratitude in the sport is important and another very curious topic…what makes fencers that originate from Guadeloupe so successful internationally? 


    There’s also a teaser in here about a big announcement that is to come in the next episode!

    Fenced In:

    https://www.instagram.com/fencedinpodcast/

    https://twitter.com/fencedinpodcast?lang=en

    J4G Design Ltd: https://j4gdesign.co.uk/

    https://www.instagram.com/j4gdesign/

    Ben Peggs: https://www.instagram.com/benpeggs/?hl=en

    https://m.facebook.com/BenPeggs1990/

    Budapest Sabre results: https://fie.org/articles/1040

    Kazan Epee results: https://fie.org/articles/1044

    Doha Foil results: https://fie.org/articles/1046

    56 min
  • "Don’t ever lose hits on the things that you can control” says British Fencing's Olympic Team Manager
    “Commit to the moment so that you finish with no regrets - don’t ever lose hits on the things that you can control”
    As a two time Olympian, this is the approach that Johnny Davis, the Olympic Team Manager for British Fencing, took to his very successful Fencing career.
    Johnny talks us through his life to date…from Belfast to a big shot in the music industry to his fencing career. He explains how he has taken these experiences into his role with the British Team. Providing us with insights into how he convert his athlete’s raw talent into world class performances.
    Having someone who’s been there and understands exactly what the athletes are going through gives them the confidence they need to perform at their best.
    1 hr 12 min
  • An interview with the founder of Fencing Time - you’ve probably all used it at some stage!

    Dan Berke is a tech head turned fencer who spotted an opportunity to make life at his club a little easier through technology. Now it’s 2021 and you have probably all used Fencing Time in some capacity either as a fencer, tournament organiser or spectator. The app grew naturally, with word spreading regionally...then nationally...then finally to the FIE who now use it at the worlds biggest events. 

    Dan still works as a software engineer while running Fencing Time and finding the time to speak to those using it to continuously find improvements. We get to hear his journey, where Fencing Time has taken him and what he misses most about life pre-pandemic. Enjoy!

    You can get in touch with Dan by sending an email to [email protected]

    Please remember to rate us and to subscribe for every update!

    59 min
  • “Practice makes permanent”, how sports psychologist Jonathan Katz deals with things not going smoothly

    As COVID continues to reek havoc through all of Europe and with stricter measures being taken Nationally, what effect is this having on our mental health and our fencing? We thought it was time to check in with psychology again. 

    In this episode Ben and Chris are joined by British Fencing’s Lead Athlete Development Programme Sports Psychologist - Dr Jonathan Katz. Jonathan’s expertise has taken him to multiple Paralympic Games, European, World and Commonwealth Championships, making him an ideal person to talk to when things don’t go smoothly,  a little like trying to fence during a global pandemic! 

    Showing his cool, calm demeanour throughout this intricate episode, Jonathan talks us through some of the common myths surrounding psychology and mental training asking us the most important question - “What function does your sport serve for you and is it meeting that function?”

    With high levels of national stress, maintaining mental health is challenging and with fencing restrictions becoming increasingly tighter, most of us are at risk of losing our deep emotional drive that creates the 'personal high' experienced at the core of our magnificent sport! 

    Jonathan goes deeper to explore what makes top athletes tick and how psychology training has changed in his long and decorated career -
    “The idea that people can improve their mental skills in just the same way as their physical skills has resulted in psychology being more of a proactive component in the sporting environment”.

    Through JK’s experience with show host, Ben, we discover what more British fencers could be doing to gain greater understanding of their progression and developing more of a ‘learning’ mindset - “It may not have gone as you intended, that doesn’t mean it was wrong. It means it was different”. Coining one of his most favourite phrases, Jonathan explains how easy it is to create habits. Leading to the name of this episode - “Practice makes Permanent”! 

    If you’d like to know more or speak to JK directly, you can get in touch via:

    Thanks Chris. Should be good for me to go live. Please let me have the various 'handles' where folks can find the podcast so I can place on my social media.

    Twitter: @DrJonKatz
    Email: [email protected]
    LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drjonathankatz

    1 hr 2 min
  • Ben forgets how to keep score and Chris can’t put on a jacket...the longly anticipated return to fencing!
    Ben forgets how to keep score and Chris can’t put on a jacket...the longly anticipated return to fencing!
    It’s finally time...we’re back to sparring! It’s the moment where we get to see how much we have improved after all of our efforts during lockdown!
    Ben talks about his return to squad training and how tough a simple 5 hit bout can be after 6 months away and Chris explains how he is chomping at the bit for his first session back.
    With so many COVID restrictions in place, and rightly so, training doesn’t look the same as it used to. Ben and Chris take you though the things to watch out for and what to expect, with so much to think about but we have to remember that it’s all about having fun!
    There are also questions from Norfolk based fencers about what aspects of training to prioritise given that technical work is now allowed again.
    Please remember to rate us and to subscribe for every update!
    49 min
  • This is arguably Scotland’s greatest ever fencer!
    “The life skills that can be taken from fencing are massive”
    ‘The Fenced In’ podcast meets arguably Scotland’s finest fencer, ever! Growing up with all the odds stacked against him all Keith Cook ever wanted was a garden with a tree in it.
    Who knew what the world had in store for him instead…
    In this episode we talk to a fellow friend, team mate, coach, father and athlete. The now retired (not confirmed!) senior international medalist, former British Champion and head coach of Salle Holyrood explains his journey and what it takes to be a fencing parent as well as coach to both his kids.
    This interview discusses Keith’s humble beginnings, his fencing career, the life lessons and whether or not he will make yet another comeback now that he’s in the shape of his life! It would certainly keep his son and student, Jamie, on his toes. We delve into that fascinating relationship, and how Keith’s approach to mental health and keeping things fun are also a big part of his narrative and club mantra.
    Keep a keen ear out for his pearls of wisdom and his knowledge as Keith answers another fantastic question from a fan on Twitter!
    51 min
  • The dream team behind some of GB's biggest successes - Maria Goriup and Sonia Aggio-Fierro
    The fenced in podcast meets Maria and Sonia. British Fencing’s physiotherapist and sports therapist respectively. The dream team behind some of GB’s biggest successes!
    Maria and Sonia each run their own practice in different areas of London but that doesn’t stop them from finding them time support the fencers, and each other. Since Maria started, the GB team have qualified for the Rio Olympic Games, won numerous medals at World Cup, and with Sonia’s arrival followed not one but two World Championships silvers!
    We get to understand what makes Maria and Sonia tick, from their own athletic prowess to their professional careers and how they found themselves in the world of fencing.
    Their insights are fascinating, unlocking some of the fundamental principles behind staying injury free and recovering properly, with perspectives from their own sports and what they have brought to fencing.
    As we look to return to fencing, this information packed episode is your weapon of choice!
    Please remember to rate us and to subscribe for every update!
    59 min

About Fencing: The Fenced In Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The Fenced In podcast is, in essence sports and fencing framed in a light, conversational piece. The show is hosted by two GB international fencers, Ben Peggs and Christopher Mollard, who have the added dynamic of being coach and student. They share their experience as well as their tried and tested ideas of how to continue to improve in this technical sport that we all remain so passionate about, through lockdown and beyond.