USA Fencing

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – Six members of the USA Fencing community have been chosen for seats on fencing commissions for the International Wheelchair Sports & Amputee Sports Federation.

USA Fencing members now hold positions on six of the seven IWAS Commissions with terms for each lasting through the 2020 quadrennium.

“Congratulations to our recently appointed IWAS Commission appointees. Each of these men and women have given so much to the sport of fencing already, but the additional commitment of volunteering their time to support wheelchair fencing on the international level will have a significant impact on our athletes,” said USA Fencing President Donald K. Anthony Jr. (Columbus, Ohio). “Wheelchair fencing has grown so much since the first time Team USA competed at the 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta. Having these individuals in place on the commissions will not only help support the important work of IWAS, but continue to encourage the development of fencing around the world.”

A five-time referee at the Paralympic Games, Jon Moss (Lee, N.H.) is returning to the Referee Commission after previously serving a term from 2008-2012. Moss, who holds an IWAS A rating in all three weapons, also was elected as chair of the Referee Commission and will oversee the training and development of international referees in his new role.

Athens Paralympian Sean Shumate (Louisville, Ky.) returned to the Games as a referee in 2012 and 2016 and currently holds a position on the USA Fencing Referee Development Committee. Shumate was named to the Rules Commission which is tasked with developing competition rules as well as updating and refining these regulations.

Leo Curtis (Portland, Ore.) made his Wheelchair World Championships debut in 2013 and the Tokyo Paralympic hopeful is dedicated to helping IWAS grow the sport of wheelchair fencing around the world. The 21-year Army veteran was named to the Development Commission as his first international appointment.

Two-time Paralympic Team Leader Ginny Boydston (Jackson, Miss.) earned a position on the Sports Commission. Boydston, who oversees wheelchair programming in the United States, will work with the commission on the creation of the annual event calendar as well establishing regulations for the World Ranking List.

Kathy Walters (Pleasant Garden, N.C.) joins the IWAS SEMI Commission after serving as an armorer for seven U.S. World Championship Teams. A member of the USA Fencing SEMI Commission, Walters works with disabled individuals on a daily basis as a medical and vocational case manager.

Olympian Carl Borack (Santa Monica, Calif.) previously served for four terms on the Federation Internationale d’Escrime’s Promotion and Publicity Commission and the 2016 U.S. Olympic Fencing Team Chef de Mission will bring his skills to the IWAS Promotion Committee.

“Our wheelchair athletes deserve the very best organization that stands behind them in their quest for gold at the World Championships and the Paralympic Games,” said Stacey Johnson (Orlando, Fla.), Chair of the USA Fencing International Relations Committee. “To support our athletes to the best of our abilities means USA Fencing must put forward strong, qualified candidates to serve within the IWAS administrative structure. That is what we did and why so many Americans were thankfully elected to serve. You need to have stars both on the piste and behind the scenes to help create strong American fencing results.”