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Veterans on Guard Program at Fencers Club Looks to Serve Those Who Served Our Country

05/29/2023, 8:00am CDT
By Nicole Kirk

For the past decade, the program has provided fencing access and opportunities for active-duty military and veterans.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - While at first glance, picturing a member of the U.S. Armed Forces in fencing gear may not seem natural, it is, in fact a perfect extension of a soldier’s experience. 
 

Strategy. Focus. Determination. The qualities that can be found in every active-duty member of the military or military veteran translate from the combat field to a combat sport. Retired Vietnam veteran, Joe Brooks, agrees.  

 

“Military people are very disciplined people,” he says. “Fencing is a very disciplined sport.” 

 

Ten years ago, Liz Cross, the former executive director of the New York City-based Fencers Club decided to spearhead the creation of a new program that would give back to the community and serve those who so bravely served our country. Cross created the Veterans on Guard program, which hosts more than 20 active-duty members of the military and veterans who fence epee twice a week.  
 

Cross and her board of directors applied for a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs that allowed them to create this integral program, which provides use of its state-of-the-art facility, world-class instruction, and all necessary fencing equipment. 
 

David Niu, the current executive director of the Fencers Club, says that Cross “saw the need for being able to provide fencing, access and opportunity around military vets, both active -duty and veteran military members.” 

 

Brooks started in 2015 after being introduced to the program by his physician at the VA and for five years never missed a class and has managed to even recruit friends to the program. He says it has been an amazing program to be a part, “the interaction with the other vets feels more comfortable when you're around people have the same mindset.” 

 

“So, it gives them a great understanding and more camaraderie with people that they feel comfortable with, which allows us to interact with other people inside, so … civilian life," Brooks says.  

He is now working to help the program recruit participants by posting on his personal Facebook page — a strategy that is already working.  

Veterans on Guard gives members the opportunity to integrate into the community through fencing, while enhancing their physical and emotional well-being. Offering lessons, open bouting, and professional development, members have no shortage of opportunities to engage with one another and the club. 
 

“There's been the opportunity to expand and grow the program to be able to provide classroom programs, lessons, events, and tournaments, for the guys to really enjoy,” Niu says.  
 

Also, Veterans on Guard has established a pipeline for adaptive fencing, allowing veterans returning with disabilities to engage in sport in a new way and compete for the Paralympic Team. Cooper Schumacher, an active epee fencer himself and director of the Veterans on Guard program, expects the program to continue to expand. 

 

“We're really looking forward to moving forward with the VA to spread this to the Paralympic community,” he says. “It just makes the community of the Fencers Club even more diverse, even more awesome.” 
 

The program's initial goals included creating opportunities for members to compete at the FIE Veteran World Championships and the Paralympics, says head coach Dwight Smith. But beyond the athletic goals the program has set, the veterans have created a special environment within the Fencers Club. 

 

“I love the sport of fencing; I've done competitive fencing. I have done some traveling tournaments around the country, which I never thought I would do. I never thought I would be fencing,” Brooks says.  

 

Brooks has experienced all the benefits the program has to offer, “so, it is a really great sport, a very great outlet for anyone to want to learn something new, even at my age, I am 72. But I do not feel that. My body feels much better since I have been fencing because I am moving around much more, much more actively. You know, so I think in a sense, even mentally and physically, it is a much better sport.” 

 

If you know of any honorably discharged veteran or active-duty member that could benefit from the program, reach out to info@fencersclub.org and connect with the club to learn more and to potentially become part of the growing team. 

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