First to 15: The USA Fencing Podcast

Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch.

The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.

Joining us today are the coaches behind that winning effort —  Ralf Bissdorf, head coach of the U.S. Women’s Foil team and an Olympic silver medalist with Germany. And Brian Kaneshige, assistant coach for the team and a powerhouse coach and fencer in his own right.

We’re going to talk about the intense preparation, tactical choices and emotional moments that made this victory possible. 

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch.

The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.

Today, we have the pleasure of talking with Maia Weintraub, one of Team USA’s shining stars in women’s foil and a key player in the U.S. team's unforgettable Olympic win in Paris 2024. Maia made history not only by stepping into a high-stakes match as a substitute against Italy but also by coming out on top in both her bouts, contributing to a groundbreaking gold medal for Team USA.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch.

The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.

Today, we're chatting with two-time Olympian and 2024 Olympic champion Jackie Dubrovich, one of the four women of Team USA who earned gold in Paris. 

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch.

The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.

The first installment of our miniseries features Lee Kiefer, who is the most decorated women's foil fencer in US history and won two golds in Paris (individual and team) to go with her individual gold in Tokyo.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In today’s episode, we’re thrilled to be joined by Valerie Asher, chair of USA Fencing’s Veterans Committee and a standout fencer in her own right. Fresh off a silver medal performance in the Veteran Team Women’s Epee event at the 2024 Veteran Fencing World Championships in Dubai, Valerie brings her wealth of experience, insights into veteran fencing, and her passion for growing this important category of the sport.

We’ll be talking about her journey in fencing, the magic behind Team USA’s success in Dubai, and how we can continue to recruit and support veteran fencers.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

In this episode, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Tori Isaacson, one of our remarkable parafencers, who is already in Paris gearing up for the Paralympic Games. This fencing journey started in high school, where Tori was captivated by the sport's strategic and fast-paced nature. Despite facing significant challenges after being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Tori has turned to parafencing as a powerful outlet for a natural competitive spirit. 

In addition to being a dedicated athlete, Tori is also a doctor of occupational therapy, specializing in outpatient hand therapy. In this conversation, we chat with Tori about the experience in Paris so far, competition preparation, and what it means to be part of Team USA.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Our guest is Dr. Jasmine Brewster Piper! Dr. Jasmine is a highly skilled sports chiropractor who has dedicated her career to helping athletes perform at their best, especially those in adaptive sports. With a deep understanding of biomechanics and injury prevention, she's currently working closely with USA Fencing's Paralympians as they prepare for the Paris Paralympic Games. We're excited to learn more about her role, her approach to athlete care, and her insights on staying competition ready.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Jataya's journey to the Paralympics is one of resilience, determination and incredible spirit. A former Marine, Jataya faced significant challenges after sustaining serious injuries during her service, which eventually led to the amputation of her left leg. But that didn't stop her. Encouraged by another military veteran, she discovered fencing and has since become a dedicated competitor in both epee and foil. As she prepares to compete in her first Paralympic Games, we’re going to chat about Jataya’s story, her training regimen, and what it means to represent Team USA on the world stage.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

This special episode features three remarkable high school students: Nikhil Khanna, Theodore Tikhomirov, and Alex Wolfe.

Nikhil Khanna is a 10th-grade student from Texas who began fencing at the age of 9. He has achieved impressive national results and co-founded Fencing for a Purpose to introduce more people to the sport and provide opportunities for children with disabilities.

Theodore Tikhomirov, from Chicago, started fencing at 8 years old and has also seen considerable success in national and regional competitions. He is passionate about making fencing accessible and helping fencers who lack resources to compete.

Alex Wolfe, originally from Tampa and now residing in Maryland, began fencing epee at 9. With a strong commitment to community service, Alex co-founded Fencing for a Purpose to raise awareness about fencing and make the sport more inclusive.

Let's hear their story and learn more about their journey and vision for the future.

• Fencing for a Purpose website
• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

We're thrilled to be interviewing Dan Berke, the brilliant mind behind Fencing Time Live — a tool that has become indispensable in the world of fencing.

In this episode, Dan will take us on an insightful journey through Fencing Time Live, revealing the untold story behind this powerful system. We'll delve into its functionalities, discuss how it revolutionizes tournament planning, and give you a rare peek behind the scenes of this ubiquitous tool that every fencer relies on but few truly understand: Scheduling.

• Watch the video version of this episode.
• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn