USA Fencing

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — From helping fund a program that brought fencing to 200 girls in rural Montana to supporting an initiative for people with hearing loss, it’s been a great first year for “Fencing the Gap,” USA Fencing’s initiative to increase access to the sport of fencing.

Today, that promising start gets even better. USA Fencing is thrilled to announce that we’ve been honored with the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s 2023 DE&I Choice Award.

This marks the first time in the award's nine-year history that USA Fencing has received this prestigious recognition, which celebrates National Governing Bodies (NGBs) for their outstanding efforts in diversity, equity and inclusion — also known as DE&I.

USA Fencing's award-winning initiative, "Fencing the Gap," aims to increase representation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), women, and people with disabilities in fencing. The initiative offers scholarships, mini-grants and incentivized programs to remove some of the financial barriers associated with competing in nationally sanctioned fencing tournaments.

"We are incredibly honored to receive this award, especially considering the larger NGBs we were up against, and that the award is voted on by our peers," says Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing. "This award is a testament to our commitment to making fencing accessible and inclusive. It's not just about statements and words; it's about taking actionable steps and putting funding behind these initiatives. I also want to take a moment to recognize the efforts of team and community members who helped found this program — particularly Dr. Shannon Jolly and Nzingha Prescod OLY."

The award comes with a $5,000 prize and a trophy, presented Oct. 4 at the TEAMS Conference in West Palm Beach, Fla. Every penny of the award funds will be used to further enhance DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging) initiatives within USA Fencing.

"We didn’t launch Fencing the Gap to win awards," says Shannon Jolly, USA Fencing's Senior Manager of DEIB. "But this wonderful recognition honors the impact we've made so far, and fuels our continued commitment to expanding access and making the sport of fencing a safe and inclusive space for all.”

Past winners of the DE&I Choice Award have included USRowing, USA Basketball, and USA Triathlon, among others. USA Fencing's win is particularly meaningful given that we compete in the category for NGBs with gross annual revenue above $10 million, making us smaller than some of our “competitors.” (Though “competitors” is a misnomer since we’re all working toward a common goal of increasing access to sports.)

"Fencing the Gap" was made possible through a partnership with All Kids Play, a national nonprofit that provides financial assistance to communities lacking sufficient resources for sport-related play. The partnership enabled USA Fencing to double the program's funding, thereby amplifying its impact.

“It's important that we keep doing what we can to increase access to young Black and Brown kids who, without assistance, would never be exposed to the sport,” one fencing parent told us. “Please keep them coming!”