Proud Fencing Mom Brings Strip‑side Spirit to Hallmark’s Holiday Bake‑off Show

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Karen Zarsadiaz‑Ige’s family motto is short, sweet and sticky as caramel: “We got grit. We don’t quit.”

This season, the self‑taught home baker is taking that mantra — and a bracelet that reads FENCING MOM — onto national TV as she competes with her brother, James, on Hallmark Channel’s new baking series, “Baked with Love: Holiday,” premiering Monday, Oct. 27, at 9 p.m. ET (episodes stream the next day on Hallmark+).

The bracelet is more than a prop.

“It’s my way of showing support to Cooper,” she says of her 8‑year‑old son, who trains at Universal Swords and Fitness in San Dimas, Calif. “I can’t be on the strip with him, but I’m alongside him on this journey.” (She also wears an AUTISM MOM bracelet for her older son, who is on the autism spectrum.)

Cooper’s fencing story began where many do: with lightsabers. After the family watched the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 — and saw an American gold medal performance — curiosity turned into commitment. When he turned 6, a coach welcomed him into a beginner class in February 2024, and he’s been suiting up ever since.

“Cooper loves the challenge every bout gives,” Karen says. “They compete, but they’re also friends once the gear is off. They’re still kids being kids.”

Even while preparing for the show, fencing stayed on the daily schedule.

“Between hooking him up to the machines and helping him gear up, I’d be thinking about sugar and butter ratios — and what sprinkles to use,” Karen says. She even tucked a photo of Cooper fencing into her workstation as a little “Easter egg” on set. A decorative fencing grip she hoped to display “didn’t make the cut,” she says — baking pun fully intended.

Karen sees plenty of overlap between her kitchen and Cooper’s club.

“There are so many similarities to fencing and baking,” she says. “Focus, creativity and precision. You cannot make a misstep in both. If your timing isn’t precise, you’ll miss the target completely.”

Practice matters, too.

“Nothing is overnight. It takes discipline and the willingness to fail and get up and try again.”

The family has also found a welcoming community through the sport.

“On and off the strip, [Cooper] is very motivated to do well in everything,” Karen says. “We can count the wins and losses but, at the end of the day, did you have fun?”

As for tournament‑day nerves?

“I can handle the heat in the kitchen,” Karen says, “but not on the piste.”

We’ll be watching for that FENCING MOM bracelet — and for the grit behind it — when “Baked with Love: Holiday” debuts on Hallmark Channel. Good luck, Karen!