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Thank You for Your Philanthropy: Looking Back at 2021's Fencing Accomplishments

Thank you for supporting fencing in the United States!

USA Fencing is celebrating the accomplishments during 2021 that you made possible due to your support and philanthropy.

2021 Highlights

  • Lee Kiefer wins gold! At the Tokyo Olympic Games, Kiefer became the first U.S. man or woman to win individual foil gold. 
  • The U.S. Men’s Foil Team (Gerek Meinhardt, Alex Massialas, Nick Itkin and Race Imboden) clinched Team USA’s second straight team bronze. 
  • Represented by Ellen Geddes, Shelby Jensen and Terry Hayes, the United States competed in a women’s team event for the first time since 2004.
  • All Olympic and Paralympic squads were provided a series of training camps to prepare each member for competition in Tokyo. Athletes and their training partners participated.
  • Fencing returned to competition after the COVID-19 pandemic! Beginning with the April North American Cup, six national events were held between April and August with nearly 4,000 athletes competing at the National Championships, Junior Olympic Championships and July North American Cup in Philadelphia.
  • USA Fencing awarded parafencing grants to three clubs to formalize and/or strengthen their parafencing programs. Parafencing gear and equipment was also donated to clubs in need.
  • The Weapon-Specific Endowment National Team Challenge raised more than $104,000 with parafencing and women’s saber unlocking a matching grant, which was used by parafencing for Tokyo travel, lodging, new equipment and by women’s saber to fund post Tokyo sports performance medical support. 
  • USA Fencing was awarded the Million Coaches Challenge grant, in partnership with USA Triathlon and USA Weightlifting. This three year grant will fund the development of youth social and emotional learning online training and onsite clinics for coaches.
  • Collaborated with Hampton University on a mentor program to work with students pursuing careers in sports management at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
  • All USA Fencing clubs received marketing toolkits to help grow and promote fencing before, during and after the Games.
  • Partnered with the Tikigaq School in the remote village of Point Hope, Alaska to help implement an after school fencing program. USA Fencing assisted with developing plans for the program, creating introductory lesson plans and securing in-kind fencing gear donations to keep youth in 4th-12th grades engaged in the program.