Fencing for a Purpose Widens the Welcome With Free Camps and Volunteer Power

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — In gymnasiums and parks from San Antonio to Cupertino, a first fencing lesson now starts with a smile, a loaner mask and a simple idea: this sport belongs to everyone.

That’s the spark behind Fencing for a Purpose, the student-led nonprofit co-founded by Nikhil Khanna alongside Theodore Tikhimerov and Alex Wolfe to make fencing accessible to any young person curious enough to try.

Over the past year, the group’s footprint has expanded quickly. The team recruited more than 40 volunteers nationwide and helped organize eight complimentary camps and open houses:

• one in San Antonio for military children
• three in Dallas for youth with special needs (with Lonestar Abilities and Community Connections)
• one in a Cupertino park
• one at the Latin School of Chicago
• one at Alliance Fencing Academy near Houston
• one in Philadelphia for kids with Type 1 diabetes

“Our organization has grown significantly,” Khanna says. “We have also launched a language mentorship program connecting Ukrainian fencers with USA fencers for 1-on-1 English learning.”

The volunteer-led model is the engine. City and Regional Officers design programs in their own communities — a structure that produced the Cupertino and Philadelphia events — with standouts like Bethany Yung, Alber Wu, Dev Sathyan, Dhruv Sathyan, Maddox Kaplan, Ari Silvers, Dimitri Lescure, Landon Schur, Saina Awalegaonkar and Liam Herndon stepping up to lead. Volunteers earn service hours, and Khanna, a recipient of the Silver Congressional Award for service, is coaching younger leaders to carry the mission forward.

Impact shows up in lasting enthusiasm.

“My daughter with cerebral palsy is in the first Fencing for a Purpose camp and it is amazing,” a Dallas parent says. “My daughter now loves Fencing and wants to continue to learn about it!”

Many first-timers move on to USA Fencing clubs, growing local programs and deepening community ties.

Internationally, Fencing for a Purpose continued its support of Ukrainian youth fencers. After sponsoring Ukraine’s Cadet National Championships in 2023, the team covered travel for 72 competitors (50 foil, 22 epee) to fence in Wroclaw, Poland, and launched the one-on-one English mentorship — with Khanna and Wolfe among the mentors.

All of this aligns with USA Fencing’s Strategic Plan, which calls for broadening access, building pathways and reaching 70,000 members by the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Efforts like these free camps turn curiosity into commitment and help more families find a welcoming first step onto the strip.

What’s next — and how to help: Fencing for a Purpose plans to expand volunteer-led camps nationwide, return to Dallas more frequently for youth with special needs and explore parafencing opportunities. The nonprofit is seeking volunteers and donations for equipment — masks, foils and jackets — to keep the welcome wide. To get involved, visit fencingforapurpose.org or email info@fencingforapurpose.org.