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

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

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

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

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

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

--

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

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

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

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

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

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

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

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

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

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

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

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

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

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

--

First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn