2015
Around the Club
Fencers Club
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Table of Contents
Around the Club ........................................................ 1 Mission & Goals ......................................................... 3 Executive Leadership .............................................. 4 Class of 2015 .............................................................. 6 Fencers Club Alumni ............................................... 8 Foundations for Excellence ............................... 10 Fencers Club Coaches .......................................... 11 FC Schools Partnership ....................................... 12 FIE-FC Clubs Movement Initiative .................. 16 Fencers Club Camps .............................................. 18 FC Saturday Enrichment Program .................. 22 College Symposium ............................................... 23 Selected Fencing Achievements ....................... 24 Fencers Club Awards ............................................ 26 FC Veterans on Guard Military Program ...... 28 Club Financials ........................................................ 29 2013-2014 Donors ................................................ 30 2014-2015 Donors ................................................ 32 Member Pages ......................................................... 34 Peter Westbrook Foundation ............................ 40 2015 Junior World Champion ........................... 41
Active member, former Chairman of the Board and 1972 Olympian James Melcher and family.
Photo by Charles Hayward
Mission & Goals Fencers Club is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of excellence through fencing. We actively support a culture of sharing by performing community services that extend beyond fencing.
The Mission of Fencers Club is to:
Provide the highest level of instruction and state-ofthe-art facilities for the sport of fencing. Promote the social and athletic interactions of our members through the sport of fencing.
Produce fencers of Olympic caliber through the active sponsorship of world-class training programs, competitions and teams.
Encourage participation in fencing by all athletes regardless of gender, disability, age and ability level, and ethnic, cultural and socio-economic background.
Broaden the base of support for fencing in the United States, and especially in New York City, by actively developing and offering fencing-related community outreach, scholarship and educational programs.
Our Goals are:
To foster and enhance important characteristics of and values in the broad-based membership of the Fencers Club community including:
Foundational Life Skills: • Physical Fitness • Determination • Strong Work Ethic • Desire to Learn • Discipline and Focus • Problem Solving • Leadership • Maturity • Achievement
Core Values: • Respect for Each Other • Community Service & Outreach • Maximizing Opportunities • Partnership • Good Citizenship • Inclusion
From the Chairman of the Board
Dear FC Members and Friends,
The 2014-2015 season was a milestone for Fencers Club. Last year when I updated the members in our annual Viewbook, we were shoring up deficits and looking to create permanence for FC. I am pleased to report that in 2015 we have signed a contract to purchase a space for a permanent home to ensure the FC legacy. Accordingly, we will have a new world-class facility for our members to enjoy, and we will remain an important ambassador to the community through our diverse programs. I would like to thank James Melcher and Bob Dow, and all involved in allowing us to realize this important goal of ensuring Fencers Club’s legacy. In partnership with the International Fencing Federation (“FIE”), we launched a successful FIE Clubs Movement Initiative Coaching Advancement Program. By demonstrating our track record and collective effort to make an impact locally and globally, we received a major grant from the International Charitable Fund for the Future of Fencing to help broaden our base and increase the level of fencing worldwide. Accordingly, Fencers Club will continue to forge global partnerships with like-minded fencing organizations and expand our international footprint. Our military Veterans’ fencing program, with the support of the USOC, US Paralympics and the Department of Veterans Affairs, continues to engage Veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces to pursue their goals both on and off the fencing strip. We continue to coach and inspire more than 1000 students in NYC schools in our Schools Partnership Program. Finally, our member athletes continue to excel both nationally and internationally. With this exciting backdrop, I would like to remind our members and friends that, as a not-for-profit organization, we remain completely reliant on the generosity of our members to maintain Fencers Club as the premier fencing organization in the USA and to focus on all our charitable outreach and scholarship programs. We will only be able to achieve our goal of pursuing excellence through fencing with your generous support.
On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank our hardworking Executive Director, Liz Cross, our best-in-class coaches, as well as our entire member community for your continued support. Sincerely, 4
Rex R. K. Chung Chairman Fencers Club
From the Executive Director
Dear Members and Friends,
As a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of excellence through fencing, we strive to achieve our goals, one step at a time.
In today’s competitive climate, there is a huge emphasis on collecting external acknowledgement for achievements and competitive successes—the pressure seems to ratchet higher every year, especially for schoolchildren. While it is wonderful and impressive to see our adolescent student-athletes getting so much done, the emphasis on collecting a maximum number recognitions can make it hard to find the time that is needed to explore a few pursuits with real depth and intensity. In this context, I am especially inspired by our student-athletes at Fencers Club who devote themselves fully to fencing while also working hard and doing well at school, and maintaining a consistently cheerful, friendly and relaxed demeanor. Many of our student members also volunteer their time to help around the club in many ways, including giving up five weeks of their summer vacation to volunteer at our Summer Day Camp. Their focused attitude toward learning and sharing allows the transformative leap from simply collecting information and commendations to becoming a contributing force for a positive change in our society. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our student-athletes on their achievements, independent of competitions won, certificates attained and all the other honors they have received along the way. Sincerely,
Liz Cross Executive Director
Fencers Club is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that strives for excellence in fencing, learning, character development and community service.
Some of the colleges our students attend, 2007-2015:
BOARD MEMBERS Rex Chung, Chairman KKR, Managing Director and Head of Asia Client and Partner Group
Philippe Bennett, President Alston & Bird Law Firm, Partner
Michael Nissan, Vice President Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, Partner
Barnard College, Boston College, Brandeis University,
Brown University, Carnegie-Mellon University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Drew University, Duke University,
Emerson College, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Haverford College, Hunter College, New York University,
Northwestern University, Oxford University, Penn State University, Princeton University, Sacred Heart University, Stanford University, St. John’s University, Temple University, Tufts University,
Tulane University, United States Military Academy at West Point, University of California, University of Chicago,
University of Edinburgh, University of Michigan,
University of Notre Dame, University of Pennsylvania, Washington University in St. Louis, Yale University
Tony Lee, Treasurer One Rock Capital Investment, Managing Partner
Annik Wolf, Secretary Guggenheim Museum, Arts Education Board, Strategic Planning Committee
Alan Getz Vanguard Investors, President
Alan Hirschfeld Harlem Hospital, Neurosurgeon
Erinn Smart Women’s Foil Team Silver Medalist, 2008 Olympic Games DailyBurn, Business Development Manager
Denis Tolkachev Columbia University, MBA candidate
Peter Westbrook Individual Bronze Medal, 1984 Olympic Games Peter Westbrook Foundation, Executive Director
Our 2013 World Champion Miles Chamley-Watson Individual Men’s Foil Coaches Simon & Irene Gershon
Fencers Club
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Congratulations Fencers Club
Iman Blow
Columbia University Foil; Coach Buckie Leach
Alexandra Kissilenko Columbia University Foil; Coaches Irene and Simon Gershon
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Fencers Club
Jennifer Grocki
New York University Epee; Coach Alexey Cheremsky
Cena Loffredo
Oberlin College Epee; Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi
Bryn Hammarberg
Duke University Epee; Coach Alexey Cheremsky
Kevin Moncrief
United States Military Academy Foil; Coach Simon Gershon
Graduating Class of 2015!
Kyle Oleksiuk
Sarah Pak
University of Chicago Epee; Coach Boris Vaksman
Helen Sakharova
Vassar College Foil; Coaches Irene and Simon Gershon
Jake Thomas
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Epee; Coach Boris Vaksman
Julian Dieck
Mirit Rutishauser
Yale University Epee; Coach Buckie Leach
Malcolm Wells
Montclair State University Sabre; Coach Achiko Lortkipanidze
Columbia University Epee; Coach Boris Vaksman
Not pictured:
Hunter College Epee, Coach Alexey Cheremsky
Jonathan Lewis
Washington University in St. Louis Epee, Coach Boris Vaksman
Daniel Schonfeld
Rochester Institute of Technology Sabre, Coach Achiko Lortkipanidze
Jax Miranda
Ohio State University Epee, Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi
Haruka Senju
University of California at Berkeley Epee, Coach Alexey Cheremsky
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Fencers Club Alumni
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2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005 2005
Alex Bachman Sean Bani Nicholas Bender Stephanie Butnick Claudine Castano Lowden Charles Tobias Cohen Noel Cropper Scott Di Guilio David Ferguson Kelsey Finkel Grace Fried Nina Gernes Samantha Giordano Jesse Hancock Ben Hochberg Rachel Kantor Daniel Lanzara Hannah Pavlovich Dwight Smith Lisa Vastola Sam Wright
Johns Hopkins University Duke University Brown University Duke University Allegheny College Stevens Institute of Technology Brown University Binghamton University Harvard University Johns Hopkins University Columbia University Johns Hopkins University Temple University Barnard College Duke University Stevens Institute of Technology Columbia University Brandeis University Princeton University Columbia University Harvard University Boston University
2006 2006 2006 2006 2006
Jarred Hammond Sam Roukas Dan Bak Alexandra Huber Bagley Wright
New York University New York University Penn State University Columbia University Drew University
2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007
Raymond Blankenhorn Abby Caparros-Jantos Allison Putterman Adrienne Katz Carrington Harris Nathaniel Botwinick Ariel Pensler Tess Finkel Zoe Baumgardner Oung Jo Yuh Nicole Ross Nate Sulat
Oxford University Barnard College Duke University Brandeis University New York University Yale University Harvard University Columbia University New York University New York University Columbia University Princeton University
Fencers Club
2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008 2008
Olivia Benedek Jillian Bratton Alanna Dunn Carl Goldfarb Rebecca Hirschfeld William Moore Andrew Pintea Katharine Pitt Abigail Denburg Samir Short Christopher Byrne Margaret Clinton Torre DiCiccio Lindsay Dow Alfred Rizzo Salim Short Sarah Siu
Penn State University Temple University St. John’s University Brandeis University Cornell University Georgetown University Brown University Yale University University of Pennsylvania Rutgers University Stevens Institute of Technology Stevens Institute of Technology Oxford University Yale University New York University Rutgers University Penn State University
2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009 2009
Adrian Bak Essane Diedro Loweye Diedro D’Meca Homer Steven Jow Jake Kuhn Brianna Martin Andy Moore Fruzsina Palinkas Masha Stoyanovsky Alexander Vastola
Penn State University Columbia University Columbia University Barnard College University of Pennsylvania Duke University Princeton University Haverford College St. John’s University St. John’s University Vassar College
2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010
Epiphany Georges Erika McKee Kylei McGill Nzingha Prescod Pearson Miller Jennifer Lee Kelsey Jonat Harrison Fox Elizabeth Rosen Ashley Lerman Sienna Batzli Gaby Stern Max Blitzer
Temple University Penn State University Penn State University Columbia University Yale University Cornell University University of Vermont New York University MIT New York University Stevens Institute of Technology Dartmouth College St. Johns University
2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010
Matthew Budofsky Julia Chen Meaghan Conway Bolivar Charles Kendall Harmeyer Gianni Di Cioccio Jessica Kang Eve Levin Granit Mavraj Christine McIntosh Faizah Muhammad Michael Mills Alex Pensler Kathleen Rand Kay Schaffer Julian Taffel Elliot Tusk Hyun-Kyung Yuh James Y. Young Christian Vastola
Duke University Columbia University Stanford University Columbia University Boston College Penn State University Duke University Princeton University Emory College Cornell University
2011
Sarah Alkilany
2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011
Andrew Ark Nazahah Booth Khelsi Clarke Brandon Hubbard Hailey Huddleston Christine Jiang Jonathan Lee Ariana LewkowitzShpuntoff Ben Loft Quinn McCann Chelsea Martinez Idris Mitchell Adam Omar Andrei Tapai Isis Washington Khristopher White Isobel Williams
Massachusetts Institute of Technology New York University City College of New York Cornell University St. John’s University Brown University University of California-Berkeley Stanford University Berklee College of Music
2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012 2012
Jacqueline Barnes Juliana Barrett Shozen Chen Kyjah Coryat Charles Efthimion Emilia Nicole Dwyer Grace Finkel Angelica Gangemi Jessica Hall Raymond Holloway Jason Hoffmeier David Howes Ayyub Ibrahim Jin Ishizuka Andrew Kelly Olivia Lim Julia Malleck Niki McKee Katherine Miller Somer Omar
New Jersey Institute of Technology
University of Pennsylvania Columbia University Johns Hopkins University Bard College University of the Arts London University of Pennsylvania Princeton University Stony Brook New York University
Sacred Heart University Ohio State University Ohio State University Rutgers University Dartmouth College Columbia University St. John’s University Sacred Heart University Brandeis University/Durham University Carnegie-Mellon University Northwestern University University of Chicago Ohio State University New York University Brandeis University Columbia University Cornell University Temple University University of Pennsylvania Binghamton University University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania Yale University New York University Northwestern University Tufts University University of Notre Dame Yale University Columbia University
2012 2012
Annalisa Ranaboldo Charlotte Sands
Tulane University Northwestern University
2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013 2013
Visala Alagappan Olivia Briffault Sabina Gilioli Carly Glowacky Adil Khan Julia Lee Daniella Ortiz Joshua Podolsky Adam Schorin Sara Taffel Ben Theeman James Turner
Princeton University Yale University Barnard College Sacred Heart University University of Pennsylvania Duke University Penn State University Tufts University Stanford University Barnard College Ohio State University Sacred Heart University
2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014
Zaheer Booth Joseph Brajdic Kaila Budofsky Sholin Chen Jordan Chow Alexander Cotter Liam Cotter Jackson Edwards William Ho Sophia Holmqvist Alex Im Zachary Landzberg Curtis McDowald Harrison McGuire Caira Moreira-Brown Josef Omar Yasmeen Omer James Sands Jonah Shainberg Philip Shin Ceara Sweeney Ariana Tafti Khalil Thompson Alexandra Viqueira Grace Wong Stephanie Ying
Hunter College Sacred Heart University Northwestern University University of Chicago Washington University St. Louis St. John’s University Boston College Penn State University University of Pennsylvania University of California San Diego New York University Cornell University St. Johns University University of Pennsylvania St. John’s University University of Chicago New York University Columbia University Notre Dame University New York University St. Johns University Georgetown University Penn State University Duke University Carnegie-Mellon University Harvard University
2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015 2015
Iman Blow Julian Dieck Jennifer Grocki Bryn Hammarberg Alexandra Kissilenko Jonathan Lewis Cena Loffredo Jax Miranda Kevin Moncrief Kyle Oleksiuk Sarah Pak Mirit Rutishauser Helen Sakharova
2015 2015 2015 2015
Daniel Schonfeld Haruka Senju Jake Thomas Malcolm Wells
Columbia University Hunter College New York University Duke University Columbia University Washington University St. Louis Oberlin College Ohio State University U.S. Military Academy West Point University of Chicago Yale University Vassar College Massachusetts Institute of Technology Rochester Institute of Technology University of California Berkeley Montclair State University Columbia University Fencers Club
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FC Foundations for Excellence Competitive Athlete Development
Fencers Club Competitive Athletes have the
opportunity to share their passion for fencing and learning through coaching fencing and mentoring. They work and volunteer in FC Partner Schools and at the Fencers Club to
inspire and teach younger students. We provide our athletes with opportunities to build their
teaches fencing to students in their own
schools, while imparting the foundational
character building values and skills that are integral to fencing, learning and life.
Saturday Enrichment Program
The goal of the Fencers Club Enrichment
level of competitive success.
participate in our mentoring program, beyond
the US Olympic Team and achieving the highest
FC Scholars
This program is established to maximize the
number of fencers who benefit from Fencers
Club’s support and development but who lack the financial means to do so. FC Scholars are designated mentors who are responsible for motivating and mentoring other members
to broaden their horizons and expose them
to challenges beyond the scope of their daily activities.
FC Pro Shop
All proceeds from the Pro Shop are placed
in the FC Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship
Fund is available to provide financial support for FC Scholars and to support the FC
Competitive Athlete Development Program.
FIE-FC Clubs Movement Initiative
The International Fencing Federation’s (FIE)
Clubs Movement Initiative aims to broaden the
base and elevate the level of fencing worldwide by networking highly successful clubs across
the globe. In 2014 Fencers Club was chosen to
represent the United States in the FIE-CMI. The program consists of coach, athlete and referee training sessions run by our talented and
internationally recognized Master coaches. Fencers Club
The Fencers Club Schools Partnership program
leadership, teaching and teamwork skills while
earning income to support their goals of making
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FC Schools Partnership
Program is to provide opportunities to
our Partner Schools’ students to fence and
what is available during the regular school program.
Training Camps
The underpinning goal of all our training
camps is to provide the highest level of fencing instruction while promoting a welcoming
atmosphere and a diverse culture of sharing.
Summer Academy
The goal of this five-week comprehensive program is to foster creativity, excellence and sportsmanship in a safe, supportive
environment. Students participate in mornings of academic enrichment activities and afternoons are dedicated to fencing.
Veterans on Guard Fencing Program
We engage able-bodied and disabled military
Veterans and Active Duty personnel in fencing by providing two weekly training sessions,
all fencing equipment and use of our state-ofthe-art facility. We give our service members opportunities to compete and to become
mentors in our Schools Partnership Program.
Through fencing, we promote physical fitness and emotional well-being in those who have honorably served our country.
Fencers Club Coaches
Alexey Cheremsky - Epee
Simon Gershon - Foil
Akhi Spencer-El - Sabre
Ed Elterman - Foil
Buckie Leach - Foil
Archil Lortkipanidze Sabre
Kornel Udvarhelyi - Epee
Irene Gershon - Foil
Mikhail Petin - Foil
Boris Vaksman - Epee
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Fencers Club Schools Partnership
TEACH
CONNECT
INSPIRE
Our vision is to offer fencing, with all
its easily transferable skills for learning
and discipline, to a wide range of students across racial, socio-economic and cultural
divides. We are committed to building strong partnerships with schools that share our vision and to implementing sustainable
fencing and mentoring programs in schools with limited resources.
The Fencers Club Schools Partnership
program embodies all aspects of the
Fencers Club’s mission and goals. It is
a comprehensive program that teaches
fencing to students in their own schools while imparting the character building
values, discipline and strategic thinking that
are integral to the sport. By working closely with students in a sport that is physically, 12
Fencers Club
MOTIVATE
MENTOR
intellectually and emotionally challenging, our highly trained and motivated scholar-
athlete coaches will encourage the students to work through difficulties to achieve their goals and develop perseverance that can
enhance the students’ ability to perform in non-fencing pursuits.
Every child deserves a high-quality,
broad-based education, which should encompass a thorough grounding in
academic subjects, an introduction to the
arts, the fostering of personal growth and
rigorous and interesting physical education. Through Fencers Club Schools
Partnership, we seek to partner with schools to facilitate students’ physical, intellectual and emotional growth, especially during highly formative years.
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Partner School Coaches Roster
Ben Bratton - Epee
Holly Buechel - Epee
Laura Decker - Sabre
Jean Goto - Foil
FENCERS CLUB SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP Joanna Guy - Epee
Aziza Hassan - Sabre
COMMUNITY OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Fruzsi Palinkas - Epee
Michael Mills - Sabre
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Konate Primus - Sabre
Eli Schenkel - Foil
Dwight Smith - Epee
Natalie Vie - Epee
Isis Washington - Epee
Rafael Western - Sabre
Marty Williams - Sabre
Slava Zingerman - Epee
Fencers Club
Partner Schools & Organizations Academic Year 2014-2015
Academy of Saint Joseph 111 Washington Place New York, NY 10014-6820
Grace Church School 86 Fourth Avenue New York, NY 10003
Anderson School 100 West 77th Street New York, NY 10024
Korean American Family Service Center Flushing, NY 11354
Brooklyn School of Inquiry 50 Avenue P Brooklyn, NY 11204
The Lowell School 203-05 32nd Avenue Bayside, NY 11361
The Chapin School 100 East End Ave New York, NY 10028
Little Red/Elizabeth Irwin School 272 Sixth Avenue New York, NY 10014
The Civic Leadership Academy 45-10 94th Street New York, NY 11373
Madiba Prep Middle School 1014 Lafayette Ave New York, NY 11221
Community Roots Charter School 50 Navy Street Brooklyn, NY 11201
Poly Prep Country Day School 9216 Seventh Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11228
Friends Seminary School 222 East 16th Street New York, NY 10003
PS3: The Charrette School 490 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014
The Gateway School 211 West 61st Street New York, NY 10023
PS199: Jesse Isador Straus School 270 West 70th Street New York, NY 10023
George Jackson Academy 104 Saint Marks Place New York, NY 10009
Quest to Learn School 351 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011
Safe in My Brothers’ Arms Academy 112 Schermerhorn Street Brooklyn, NY 11201 Saint Stephen of Hungary School 408 East 82nd Street New York, NY 10028 The Storefront Academy Harlem 70 East 129th Street New York, NY 10035 United Nations International School 24-50 FDR Drive New York, NY 10010 Winston Preparatory School 126 West 17th Street New York, NY 10011 Summer 2015: The GO Project 86 Fourth Avenue New York, NY 10003 TOTAL STUDENTS SERVED: 1,400
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FIE Clubs Movement Initiative
Beginning in 2014, Fencers Club was selected by the International Fencing Federation (FIE) and USA Fencing to partner with the FIE through its Clubs Movement Initiative to raise the level and broaden the base of fencing worldwide. As the representative club for the Americas, Fencers Club works with coaches from Pan-American fencing federations to advance their coaching skills and knowledge while giving them the necessary tools and guidance to further develop world-class fencing programs in their countries.
Our goals and approach for the FIE CMI Coaching Advancement Program are to:
• Provide a state-of-the-art and comprehensive coaching program in which international coaches will further their technical and tactical knowledge for organizing classes and giving lessons to students • Promote active learning and adaptation to each country and region’s coaching needs • Provide strip coaching tools and skills to raise competitive athlete results • Implement a comprehensive physical and psychological training program to optimize performance and prevent injury • Impart strategies on how to build a strong student base for a long-term sustainable fencing program
Building upon the current partnership and shared vision and goals of FIE Clubs Movement Initiative, we plan to launch the Fencers Club International Fencing Advancement program. With the support of the FIE and the Foundation for the Future of Fencing, this program will have a profound impact by increasing participation in and elevating the level of fencing worldwide.
Sharing the objective of the Olympic Movement, the mission of Fencers Club’s International Fencing Advancement program is to make the world a better place through the pursuit of fencing excellence.
In partnership with:
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Fencers Club
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Fencers Club Summer Academy Day Camp “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” - Benjamin Franklin
The Fencers Club Summer Day Camp is a great opportunity for students to combine mornings of academic enrichment activities with afternoons of fencing practice taught by our elite athletes and Olympians.
The Camp’s daily sessions are comprised of two parts: the morning program is designed to promote academic risk-taking and the development of creative thought processes under the supervision of experienced instructors who are actively engaged in research and teaching. Morning activities include: chess, creative writing, math games, logic puzzles, bridge construction and organic gardening. The afternoon fencing program is taught by our scholar-athletes who are highly proficient in teaching fencing to students of varied abilities and experience levels.
Daily Schedule: 9:00AM Arrival | Breakfast -10:30AM Academic Session 1 -12:00PM Academic Session 2 -12:30PM Lunch -1:00PM Free-time activities -1:30PM Fencing-related games -2:30PM Footwork & drills -3:30PM Supervised bouting -4:00PM Clean up, store gear, snack and depart 18
Fencers Club
Weekly Schedule: Mondays: • Pick Your Topics • Choose Your Weapon • Get Your Team
Fridays: • Present your team work • Day Camp Publication • Chess tournament • Fencing tournament • Camp awards • Pizza and ice cream!
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2014 Berkshires Training Camp Each summer, Fencers Club moves to the scenic Berkshire Hills in southwestern Massachusetts for our intensive training camp. Our world-class coaching staff conducts drills, tactical exercises, strengthening and conditioning and supervised bouting in three daily fencing sessions. Our elite athletes and Olympians also attend to work with the campers to reach their goals both on and off the fencing strip.
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Fencers Club
Fencers Club
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Saturday Enrichment Fencing Program
The goal of the Fencers Club Saturday Enrichment Fencing Program is to teach fencing to students from the Metro NYC area while imparting all of fencing’s transferable skills for learning and discipline, across a wide range of racial, socio-economic, and cultural divides.
The program takes place at Fencers Club and our School Coaches conduct the class in a small-group setting. Student-fencers engage in exciting and fast-paced fencing practices, which include: warm-ups, footwork, fencing-related games, bladework drills and supervised bouting.
Coaches’ Bios:
Eli Schenkel: Eli is one of the top foil fencers in the country. He recently graduated from St. Johns University majoring in Economics and competes internationally for his home country of Canada. He also coaches and mentors students in our Schools Partnership Program.
Fruzsi Palinkas:
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Fencers Club
Fruzsina “Fruzsi” Palinkas is a top women’s epee fencer originally from Budapest, Hungary. She graduated from St. John’s University where she was a key player on the school’s fencing team. She has been involved with the Fencers Club Schools Partnership program since it began.
7th Annual Symposium on College Fencing September 12, 2014
Each year, Fencers Club hosts this Symposium to benefit all high school fencers in the New York City area, and it is dedicated to all student-athletes who strive for excellence. In 2014, more than 100 college-minded fencers and their families attended to listen as head coaches from top schools discussed a variety of topics.
Discussion Topics Included:
• College Admissions: Does Fencing Matter?
• What is the “Coaches List” and How Does it Work? • Life of a Student-Athlete: Team Spirit and Riding the Bus
• Athletic Scholarships: Where and How?
• Balancing Academics and International Fencing • Divisions, NCAA Rules and Championships
Coaches in Attendance: Akhnaten Spencer-El, Columbia University Peter Brand, Harvard University Zoltan Dudas, Princeton University Steve Mormando, New York University Andy Ma, University of Pennsylvania
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Selected Fencing Achievements 2008 Olympic Games
2010 World Championships
2012 Olympic Games
2013 Seoul Senior World Cup
Beijing, China
Paris, France
London, England
Seoul, Korea
Team Women’s Foil Team Silver Medal Emily Cross, Coach Mikhail Petin Erinn Smart, Coach Buckie Leach
Men’s Epee Team Silver Medal Ben Bratton, Coach Seoung-Woo Lee
Men’s Foil Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Men’s Foil Team - Silver Medal Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Women’s Foil Nicole Ross Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
2013 Paris Senior Grand Prix
Team Men’s Saber Silver Medal Keeth Smart, Coach Yuri Gelman James Williams, Coach Yuri Gelman Tim Morehouse, Coach Yuri Gelman
2011 Junior World Championships Dead Sea, Jordan
Paris, France Nzingha Prescod (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Nzingha Prescod, Coach Buckie Leach
2009 Junior & Cadet World Championships Belfast, Ireland Cadet Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Nzingha Prescod, Coach Buckie Leach Junior Team Women’s Foil Gold Medal Nicole Ross, Nzingha Prescod and Epiphany Georges Coaches: Simon Gershon, Buckie Leach
2012 World Championships Kiev, Ukraine
2011 World Rankings Men’s Foil - 2nd Ranked Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
2013 Bologna Senior World Cup Men’s Team Epee - Gold Medal Benjamin Bratton Coach Seoung-Woo Lee
2013 Marseille Grand Prix Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Evgeniya Kirpicheva, Saint John’s
Moscow, Russia Cadet Women’s Foil - Silver Medal Sara Taffel Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Fencers Club
Women’s Sabre - Silver Medal Ibtihaj Muhammad (PWC/FC) Coach Akhi Spencer-El
2012 NCAA Championships
2012 Junior and Cadet World Championships
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Men’s Foil Team - Gold Medal Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Senior Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Nzingha Prescod (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
2013 Division I National Championships
2013 World Championships Budapest, Hungary
Richmond, VA Senior Men’s Foil - Gold Medal Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon Senior Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Nzingha Prescod Coach Buckie Leach
2013 North American Cup
2015 Shanghai Grand Prix Shanghai, China
Tashkent, Uzbekistan Miles Chamley-Watson Individual Men’s Foil World Champion Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Sara Taffel Individual Women’s Foil World Champion Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
2014 Gdansk Senior Grand Prix
Senior Men’s Foil - Gold Medal Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
2015 Seoul Grand Prix
Gdansk, Poland
2015 Junior & Cadet Pan-American Championships
Seoul, Korea
Senior Women’s Foil - Silver Medal Nzingha Prescod (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
Toronto, Canada
Senior Women’s Sabre - Silver Medal Ibtihaj Muhammad (PWF/FC) Coach Akhi Spencer-El
Cleveland, OH Senior Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Nzingha Prescod (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
2015 Junior World Championships
Samantha Viquiera - Bronze Medal Coach Buckie Leach
2015 Junior Olympics
Junior Men’s Sabre - Gold Medal Andrew Doddo (PWF/FC) Coach Akhi Spencer-El
Dallas, TX
Junior Women’s Epee Caira Moreira-Brown (PWF/FC) Bronze Medal Coach Alexey Cheremsky
Senior Women’s Sabre - Gold Medal Ibtihaj Muhammad (PWF/FC) Coach Akhi Spencer-El
Junior Men’s Sabre Jonah Shainberg - Bronze Medal Coach Achiko Lortkipanidze
2013 North American Cup
2014 Moscow Senior Grand Prix
Junior Women’s Foil Iman Blow (PWF/FC) - Gold Medal Coach Buckie Leach
Moscow, Russia Women’s Sabre - Bronze Medal Ibtihaj Muhammad (PWF/FC) Coach Akhi Spencer-El
2014 Division I National Championships Minneapolis, MN
Cadet Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Iman Blow (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
Division I Men’s Epee - Gold Medal Yeisser Ramirez Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi
Timisoara, Romania
Veteran Women’s Foil Margaret Fagan – Gold Medal Coach Mikhail Petin
Junior Women’s Foil - Silver Medal Iman Blow (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
Veteran 70+ Men’s Epee Marcel Miernik – Gold Medal Coach Alexey Cheremsky
2014 Junior World Cup
Junior Women’s Sabre Lena Johnson (PWF/FC) - Bronze Medal Coach Akhi Spencer-El Cadet Men’s Foil Max Chung - Bronze Medal Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Richmond, VA
Junior Women’s Foil - Bronze Medal Natalie Yang Coach Mikhail Petin Junior Women’s Epee - Bronze Medal Saanchi Kukadia Coach Boris Vaksman Cadet Women’s Foil Natalie Yang - Gold Medal Coach Mikhail Petin Delphine de Vore - Bronze Medal Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
2015 Junior World Cup Zagreb, Croatia Junior Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Iman Blow (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
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Fencers Club Awards 2014-2015
Photo by Serge Timacheff
Chairman’s Award for Outstanding Fencing Achievement
Fencers Club Community Service Award
This award is presented to the member who has exhibited
This award honors two members each year who make
fencing excellence and superiority in their performance on
significant and sustained volunteer contributions to benefit
the strip. A panel of coaches and fencers has selected the
the club and its members.
following fencers for this prestigious award:
Miles Chamley-Watson
Achievements: Gold Medal 2015 Shanghai Senior Grand Prix; Gold Medal Team Men’s Foil, 2015 Pan-American
Championships; Gold Medal Team, 2015 Paris World Cup;
Bronze Medal Team, 2015 Bonn World Cup; Bronze Medal Team, 2014 Havana World Cup; Gold Medal Team, 2014 Pan-American Championships.
Isis Washington
For her dedication to serving our members and our
community in the Fencers Club Pro Shop, at events such as
the Tribeca Film Festival and Partner Schools tournaments. Her commitment to the sport of fencing and to our community are exemplary.
Sara Taffel
Achievements: 2015 Junior Women’s Individual Foil
World Champion and Silver Medal Team at Junior World
Championships; #6 World Ranking (Junior); Silver Medal
2014 Division I National Championships; Gold Medal 2014 North American Cup (Junior).
2015 NCAA Champion Isis Washington and Coach Boris Vaksman. 26
Fencers Club
Fencers Club Community Service Award
Outstanding Partner School Coach Award
This award honors two members each year who make
This award is presented to one of our team of School
significant and sustained volunteer contributions to benefit
Coaches for his/her outstanding service to the Fencers
the club and its members.
Club Schools Partnership Program.
Arjuna Bharathan
Dwight Smith
For dedicating his time on Saturdays throughout the school
For his dedication to coaching, mentoring and imparting
Tribeca Film Festival and as a fencer.
invaluable member of the school coaching roster since the
year to assist Fencers Club staff with office and Pro Shop tasks, and for his involvement in our community at the
Lifetime commitment to fencing excellence award
This award is presented to a member in recognition of his/her
the love of learning through fencing to students throughout our Schools Partnership Program. Dwight has been an program’s inception.
Gould-Hirschfeld Sportsmanship Award
lifetime of contribution to the betterment of both fencing and
This award is presented to the fencer who has exhibited a
Fencers Club.
strong understanding and commitment to fair play, ethical behavior, and above all, uncompromising integrity both on
Diane Reckling
For her long-standing support of our Club and passion
for fencing, Diane is exemplary in her commitment to the
Fencers Club ideal of life-long learning. Thank you for being an outstanding role model.
Fencers Club Pro Shop Award for Most Improved Fencer
This award chosen by a panel of coaches and is presented
to the fencer who has made dramatic strides in fencing by having a keen understanding of the game and effectively utilizing the practice time.
Andrew Doddo
For his outstanding performance at the international cadet level, including winning the 2014 Cadet Circuit event in Godollo, Hungary as well as a silver medal at the Cadet Circuit event in Konin, Poland this season.
Delphine de Vore
For her remarkable progress culminating in a bronze medal in Cadet Women’s Foil at the 2015 Junior Olympics, gold
and off the strip.
Isabelle Banin
For her strong work ethic, superb sportsmanship and commitment to excellence in school and on the strip.
Isabelle is an exemplary student-athlete and a kind, caring member of the Fencers Club community.
Kevin Moncrief
For his dedication to the Fencers Club community as a volunteer, counselor, mentor and fencer. Kevin is a
shining example of a hardworking student-athlete with uncompromising integrity both on and off the strip.
2015 Fencers Club MVP Award
The Most Valuable Player Award is presented to a member who is valuable to the club as an athlete, donor or organizer, and someone who has become an indispensable contributor to the Fencers Club community.
Rex Chung
medals at both the 2014 Capitol Clash and Cobra Challenge
For his strong leadership as Chairman of the Board and an
International event.
stronger and brought the Fencers Club community closer.
Super Youth Circuit (SYC) events, and a bronze medal in
the Cadet category at the 2014 Steve Sobel Youth/Cadet
exemplary parent of two Fencers Club members. His vision and support for various club efforts have made the club
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Veterans on Guard Fencing Program Launched in the winter of 2013, the Fencers Club Veterans On Guard Fencing Program is the first of its kind in the NYC area. We currently have more than a dozen Veterans and Active Duty personnel fencing epee twice per week. In addition to weekly training sessions, Veterans can also take lessons and participate in open bouting to improve their skills. Our program was also featured in the 2014 NYC Veterans Day Parade as 10 of our Veteran fencers marched up New York’s iconic Fifth Avenue in front of an estimated crowd of 300,000 spectators. We will continue to work with our Veteran community partners to expand our services for Veterans and Active Duty Service Members throughout the year. The goals of the Fencers Club Veterans On Guard Fencing Program are:
• To provide opportunities for Veterans to integrate into the community through fencing.
• To promote physical fitness and emotional well-being in the Veteran population.
• To identify and engage disabled and able-bodied Veterans to pursue excellence in fencing, professional development, and serve the larger community. • To create a pipeline for adaptive (wheelchair) fencing for disabled fencers in NYC.
The program is funded in part by a generous grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as private donations.
In partnership with:
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Fencers Club
Fencers Club Financials
Fencers Club Revenue and Expenses Overview 2012 - 2015 9/1/20128/31/2013 Audited
9/1/20138/31/2014 Unaudited
9/1/20148/31/2015 Projected
CHANGE FY2014/15 VS. FY2013/14
REVENUE CONTRIBUTIONS & GRANTS CLUB INCOME PARTNER SCHOOLS PROGRAM PRO SHOP SALES (NET)
689,753 1,074,570 209,043 55,506
175,519 1,019,280 175,321 92,549
610,000 1,107,000 194,550 75,000
434,481 87,720 19,229 -17,549
TOTAL REVENUE
2,028,872
1,462,669
1,986,550
523,881
515,840 649,121
556,961 573,362
573,670 643,362
16,709 70,000
437,147
429,424
498,514
69,090
1,602,108
1,559,747
1,715,546
155,799
426,764
-97,078
271,004
368,082
EXPENSES RENT & UTILITIES CLUB EXPENSES & MEMBER SERVICES PAYROLL, PAYROLL EXPENSES, PROFESSIONAL AND COACHING FEES TOTAL EXPENSES EXCESS OR (DEFICIENCY) OF REVENUE OVER EXPENSES
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Photo by Serge Timacheff
Donors 2013-2014 1883 Society - $50,000 and up Anonymous
Leaders - $20,000 and up Anonymous Rex Chung
Benefactors - $10,000 and up Annik Wolf
Gold Members - $5,000 to $9,999 Philippe Bennett Ms. Gould and Dr. Hirschfeld The Lawrence Family So-Chung and Tony Lee Dr. Elizabeth Poynor
Silver Members - $2000 to $4,999 Antoine Carle Anne Mathews Ms. Michaelcheck Michael Nissan
Bronze Members - $1,000 to $1,999
The Cross Family June and Tonny Ho Dr. and Dr. Landzberg The Lawson Family The O’Kelly Family The Ortiz Family
Mahsa and Jay Pelosky The Raso Family Andrew and Betsy Sands Joy and Nam Shin The Wildermuth Family
Friends
Anonymous The Balaban Family The Bianco Family The Cho Family The Dixon Family The Friedman Family Mark Goldberg The Harvey Family Pamela Cadle-Jones The Kamimura Family
The Leonard Family Jean-Marc Oppenheim Paul Oratofsky Mikhail Petin The Post Family Adam Schafer The Schaffner Family The Senju Family The Sweetra Family The Taffel Family
Sponsors and Supporters
Absolute Fencing Gear Goldman Sachs Jamali Garden Jefferies and Company Dr. Brian Landzberg
New Jersey Fencing Alliance Szechuan Kitchen US Dept. of Veterans Affairs US Olympic Committee US Paralympics
Donors 2014-2015 1883 Society - $50,000 and up
International Charity Fund for the Future of Fencing
Leaders - $20,000 and up
Philippe Bennett Rex and Jeena Chung U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Benefactors - $10,000 and up Tony Lee and So-Chung Shinn Annik Wolf
Gold Members - $5,000 to $9,999 Ms. Gould and Dr. Hirschfeld Michael Nissan Lisa Piazza and Vanguard Charitable
Silver Members - $2000 to $4,999 Absolute Fencing Gear Elizabeth Cross The Denner Family Alan Getz
Bronze Members - $1,000 to $1,999
The Banin Family James Melcher The Chun Family The Pak Family The Lawson Family The Peter Westbrook Foundation Dr. Malcolm A.S. Moore The Raso Family and Francine Moore The U.S. Olympic Committee
Friends
Anonymous The McDonald Family The Balaban Family Peter Miller and Julia Whitehead Joseph and Erica Chan Paul Oratofsky Paula and Dan Chapman Marcel and Anna Pintea The de Vore Family Jon Shoates The Dixon Family Erinn Smart The Friedman Family Denis Tolkachev The Gilioli Family Eugene Vastola and The Hammarberg Family Anna Bogdanow The Landzberg Family The Weintraub Family
Sponsors and Supporters Absolute Fencing Gear Bvlgari International Fencing Federation (FIE)
Szechuan Kitchen U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs U.S. Olympic Committee U.S. Paralympics
Photo by Alan Hirschfeld
Congratulations to Simon Gershon!
I would like to formally and personally congratulate Simon Gershon on his induction into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame. His numerous successes
throughout the year are beyond commendable and his contributions to fencing never fail to amaze me. Simon's explanations provide a unique insight and a
wonderful way of viewing fencing as not only a sport, but also a mental state
and art. His unending kindness and warmth has always made the Fencers Club a wonderful place to train and his work ethic has taught us to be the best
athletes and students we can be. Although we have only known Simon for a
short eight years, we wish to have many more successful years with the amazing, father-like figure, Simon Gershon. Sincerely,
Maxwell and Isabella Chung
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Fencers Club
CONGRATULATIONS, SIMON ON YOUR INDUCTION INTO THE USA FENCING HALL OF FAME SOFIA, OLIVIA, MELISSA AND DAVID RASO
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Congratulations Simon on a well-deserved honor. Your induction into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame formalizes what your family at Fencers Club have always known— you instill excellence in your students.
You and Irene have done far more than just teach Alexandra and Isabelle to fence. Their dedication to hard work, their desire to succeed, and their sportsmanship comes in no small part from the values you both have instilled in them.
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Alexandra, Isabelle, Lisa and Saar Banin 36
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Congratulations Kevin!
Thank you for your years of volunteering and dedication to the club. We wish you all the best at West Point!
Isabelle, We are very proud of you! Your intellectual curiosity and love of learning will be further nurtured as you enter high school. We love you. Mom, Dad, and Alexandra
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Fencers Club
Spasibo, Simon! - Delphine de Vore
Congratulations Bryn!
Congratulations to Coach Simon Gershon on your well-deserved induction into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame!
Garrett, Eric, Lori & Tyler Friedman
For Lucas Congratulations on a great year of Fencing, from U to E to D and still moving! We are so proud of you and how hard you have worked, Love Mom and Dad May 2015
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The Peter Westbrook Foundation: A Partner Organization
Dear Members and Friends,
Over the years, the joint collaboration between Fencers Club and the Peter Westbrook Foundation has shown itself to be critical to the advancement of American fencing. I, myself, have been directly influenced by this evolving partnership, and my athletic, professional and personal goals would not have developed as they did without it. I began fencing when I was 10 years old through the Peter Westbrook Foundation’s Saturday morning fencing program and almost 20 years to the day since I set foot inside Fencers Club I am hard-pressed to name another moment that had as significant an impact on my life. I was quickly introduced to a unique cache of world-class fencing coaches and openhearted staff that greeted me from the instant that I arrived at Fencers Club, retaining my interest in a sport that I had never heard of and encouraging me to dream of goals that would have been unfathomable beforehand. With an amazing membership consisting of some of the top professionals in their respective fields, I was able to connect, befriend and even be mentored by FC members that gave me vision and guidance both on and off the fencing piste.
My outlook has totally expanded as a result of the alliance between Fencers Club and PWF. I am unbelievably grateful for the opportunity to have grown up with these organizations. I know that I would never have achieved my successes as an athlete or developed into the man that I am today without the joint effort from both organizations.
Ben Bratton
Current U.S. #1 Ranking in Senior Men’s Epee 2015 U.S. Senior Team Member, 2015 Pan-American Team Champion, 2012 World Team Champion 40
Fencers Club
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229 W. 28th Street, 2nd Floor • NYC 10001
www.fencersclub.org info@fencersclub.org 212.807.6947
A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of excellence through the sport of fencing. Fencers Club does not discriminate on the basis of race/ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, disability, veteran status, or age. Š Fencers Club 2015