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 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 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.

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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 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 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 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 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 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 WFencing
• Check out the Forge Fencing website
• 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 Natalie Dostert, Team USA's women's epee national head coach.

Before taking the lead of Team USA’s women’s epee program in January 2022, Natalie coached our cadet and junior women’s epee teams, trained several U.S. national team members and guided athletes to international medals. The list of fencers she has worked with is too long to name, but just a few are Kelley and Courtney Hurley, Kat Holmes and Francesca Bassa.

She’s been an epee coach at the Alliance Fencing Academy in Houston since 2015. Before that, Natalie was the head epee coach at a fencing club in Bonn, Germany, from 2013 to 2015.  

And her own fencing experience is definitely worth mentioning as well. Natalie was a German national team and university champion, holds a German “Coaching ‘A’” license from the German Fencing Federation and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from the University of Bonn.

• 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 Felicia and Iris Zimmermann, USA Fencing Hall of Famers and Olympians. 

Felicia Zimmermann is a foil fencer who competed at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. At Stanford, Felicia was the first woman to win NCAA titles in both foil and epee. She was also the U.S. national champion in foil four times and helped the USA win team bronze at the 2001 Senior Worlds.  

Felicia’s younger sister is foil fencer Iris Zimmermann, who competed alongside Felicia at the 2000 Olympics. Iris is a three-time world champion in foil — winning the Cadet world championship in 1995 and 1997 and the Junior world championship in 2000. Iris also attended Stanford, where she won the NCAA title in 2001. She was also a three-time U.S. national champion and was on that same bronze-medal-winning team at the 2001 Senior Worlds.

We'll ask these Olympians sisters about their journey to the Games and how they supported each other along the way.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode
• Check out the USA Fencing Hall of Fame

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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 Aaron Luo, a Vet-40 Men’s Epee Fencer and member of Fencers Club in New York City.

Aaron is also the proud father — and coach — of two fencing sons — 9-year-old Alexander and 6-year-old Sebastian.  

And when he’s not fencing or cheering on his boys, Aaron is the CEO of two companies, including Caraa, a sport bag and accessory company, and Mercado Famous, a gourmet-food company.

We chat with Aaron about how he keeps in fencing shape, his return from a 10-year hiatus in fencing, and how he manages his busy schedule.  

• Read the piece about Aaron Luo in The Wall Street Journal
• 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 three-time Paralympian and 2004 Paralympic Bronze Medalist Scott Rodgers.

It was 1993 when Scott was first introduced to what was then called wheelchair fencing and is now known in the U.S. as parafencing. He quickly learned he was pretty good at it, and before long he was earning medals at the national and then international level.

Speaking of international fencing, Scott competed at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, earned a bronze medal at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens, and returned to represent Team USA at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Support our Parafencing to Paris campaign
• 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

In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by saber fencer and 2020 Olympian Khalil Thompson. 

Khalil is currently ranked in the top 50 in the world in men's saber. He represented Team USA at the 2019 Senior World Championships, the Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Senior World Championships. And he's a three-time national champion in the Division I Men's Saber Team Event as a member of the team from the Peter Westbrook Foundation. 

In this episode, we asked Khalil whether he was competitive with his older sister (also a phenomenal fencer), his struggles with anxiety and depression, and how he deals with the pressures of competitive fencing. 

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow Khalil on Instagram
• 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