USA Fencing

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — They live on opposite coasts — one in LA and the other near Boston — but Nathan Canlas and Roy Graham have more in common than their choice of fencing weapon: foil.

Both young men have experienced the increasingly packed schedules that are part of high-level fencing. There simply aren’t enough hours in the week to fit in school, homework, fencing lessons, fencing competitions and a healthy social life.

And that’s what led Nathan, 15, and Roy, 16, to take a look at Avenues Online, the Official School of USA Fencing. The fencers and their parents appreciated the school’s high-quality educational experience, which has been expertly designed to fit into a busy fencer’s life. 

Today, Nathan and Roy take the next step in their Avenues Online journey. Each has been named an inaugural recipient of the Avenues Online Fencing Scholarship. The scholarship, which we announced last fall, provides full tuition at Avenues Online renewable through graduation. 

While we congratulate Nathan Canlas and Roy Graham, let’s take a moment to meet these two young men.

Nathan Canlas never had a “Sorting Hat” moment when choosing his weapon. It came down to one thing: proximity.

“Honestly,” he says, “the closest club to us was a foil club.”

Nathan’s reflection on his start in fencing emphasized that this choice made by chance ultimately aligned with his passion and prowess, leading him to one of the most prominent clubs in the United States: Los Angeles International Fencing Center (LAIFC), led by legendary coach Misha Itkin.

Under the mentorship of someone who’s helped shape and mold multiple Olympic and World Champions, Nathan has cultivated a mindset that focuses his energy to “stay in it” when it matters most on the strip, fueling a rapid ascent in the Cadet and Junior rankings.  

Recognizing it’s a daunting task to balance elite athletic training with rigorous academic demands, Nathan says he’s honored to join Avenues Online, the Official School of USA Fencing.  

Nathan recognized that Avenues Online is home to Magda Skarbonkiewicz, who will be competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 this summer, and Roy Graham, who will compete at the 2024 Junior & Cadet Fencing World Championships this month.

That was proof that Avenues Online, a school known for its flexible scheduling and personalized learning paths, would provide a unique opportunity to excel academically while pursuing his sporting ambitions over his final two years of high school.  

"I think it'll just give me an opportunity to be able to train at the level that I've really wanted to but also not limit my ability to study the things I want to study," Nathan says. “I also want to have the experience of competing internationally. I think public school isn't very supportive of that.”

Traditional schools are strict on attendance, dictating exactly when school starts and ends each day. 

“If you want to compete internationally, you have to be absent for at least three or four days,” he says. “Missing even one or two days in the public schooling system — they don't like it.”

Avenues Online, he learned, would offer an engaging and college-focused academic experience that can adapt to fit his schedule.

That schedule includes a rigorous training regimen that stretches his days from dawn till dusk. 

“Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I go to school and then have 7 p.m. practice until around 9:30,” he says. “And then I have to commute back home. So I get home at like 10. And then you wake up early the next day for school and then repeat the process. Tuesdays and Thursdays, I don't have practice, but sometimes we'll try to get another workout in. Saturdays, if there's an opportunity to practice, I try and go out there.”

Nathan takes his academic responsibilities just as seriously, and the adaptability offered by Avenues Online is anticipated to revolutionize Nathan's regimen, affording him the ability to train more efficiently, rest sufficiently, sustain his scholastic achievements, and pursue a coveted roster spot at the collegiate level.

“I think just the stress of not having to juggle everything would be the biggest change,” Nathan says. “I want to be able to have more consistency … and also to actually rest after practice instead of having to wake up at 7 the next day.”

Time will tell just how far Nathan's journey will lead. He mentions a viral internet clip of a jump flick move that he’s seen others use in competition before, including his LAIFC clubmate, Bryce Louie, a senior at the University of Pennsylvania and the reigning 2024 NCAA foil champion.

It sounds like the fencing world’s equivalent of being posterized by a monster slam in the NBA.  Has Nathan been on the receiving end of such ignominious treatment from an opponent?

With a confident shrug, he admits: “I dunk on people more.”

As the sun rises, most high school students are just starting to stir, but for Roy Graham, a member of the 2024 Junior & Cadet World Championships team, the day’s training is already in full swing. 

For Roy, the unique demands of fencing at an elite level require not just physical agility and technical skill but also an educational environment that adapts to his rigorous schedule. This is where Avenues Online steps in, transforming his approach to both fencing and learning.

"I think it's absolutely amazing," Roy says, reflecting on the impact Avenues Online has had on his training regimen already. 

Unlike traditional schooling, Avenues offers him the flexibility to train five to six days a week, including mornings — times that were previously off-limits because of conventional school hours. This adaptability is crucial, especially given his commitment to the Cadet and Junior travel teams, which frequently take him around the globe. 

"I traveled internationally 10-plus times, and I was put in a really tight position where I had to make up a lot of work in a very short amount of time or go over the allowed absences and get penalized 10 points on an assignment,” he says. “Avenues has just completely fixed all that.”

But it's not just the flexible schedule that makes Avenues Online a perfect fit for Roy; it's also the engaging, one-on-one classroom experience that resonates with him. Traditional school environments, with their one-size-fits-all approach and rigid schedules often left him feeling boxed in. 

"You're there for six, seven hours. The teacher is talking, you're doing work, and sometimes you finish early, but you're not allowed to work ahead," Roy says. 

Avenues faculty members, however, encourage him to be proactive, allowing him to dive into biology after completing his math, for example, effectively leveraging his time and energy toward more productive ends.

The support doesn't end with scheduling flexibility and an engaging curriculum. The personal attention from Avenues' faculty plays a significant role in Roy’s development, not just as a student but as an individual. 

“Every time, they answered all the questions I had," he says. 

This nurturing environment has proven to be a stark departure from his experiences in public school, highlighting Avenues' commitment to supporting its students' unique paths.

For Roy, Avenues Online has been a game-changer, enabling him to pursue his fencing career with vigor and determination. The ability to train more frequently and intensively with his coach, Croatian Olympian Bojan Jovanovic, has propelled his skills forward, offering him a competitive edge that was previously hindered by conventional schooling constraints. 

“It helps me travel with less stress and anxiety over all the work piled up, so it just keeps me in a better mindset," he says.

Moreover, the project-based work and creative freedom afforded by Avenues has sparked a deeper engagement with his studies, making the material more intriguing and relevant to his future aspirations. This connection between his academic interests and his passion for fencing has not only enhanced his performance on the strip but also enriched his understanding of the world around him.

As Roy looks to the future, his experiences with Avenues Online have allowed him to excel in fencing while preparing him for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead