2016
Around the Club
Fencers Club
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Table of Contents
Mission & Goals
Around the Club ........................................................ 1 Mission & Goals ......................................................... 3 Executive Leadership .............................................. 4 Class of 2016 .............................................................. 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 2015-2016 Donors ................................................ 30 2014-2015 Donors ................................................ 32 Member Pages ......................................................... 34 Fencers Club in the Community ....................... 36 Olympic Day 2015 .................................................. 37 Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future ........ 38 Fencers Club’s New Permanent Home .......... 39 Peter Westbrook Foundation ............................ 40 2016 Olympians ...................................................... 41
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:
Photo by Charles Hayward
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 Fencers Club has entered a new phase in our evolution to firmly establish ourselves as the premier fencing organization in the USA. Based on fencing excellence, charitable outreach to our community, and financial security, we are in an enviable position. Over the years, I have prioritized solvency, revamping the Board with selfless individuals, and to create permanence for the FC. Accordingly, I am pleased to report that our finances are now stable. We also have a Board that has been giving at the 100% level and working hard across all our committees. Finally, we have signed a contract to purchase a space for a permanent home to ensure the FC legacy. Our recent May 10th Event “FC Past, Present and Future” hosted by David Raso at the University Club was a resounding success and highlighted the details of the new space. 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 as well as our PWF for their continued partnership. 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. To this end, a Building Fund has been established including naming rights so I humbly ask for your support. This is an Olympic year. I wish both the US team and our own members the very best success. This year, we qualified four athletes to the Rio Olympic Games: Miles Chamley-Watson (FC), Juliana Barrett (FC/RSA), Nzingha Prescod (PWF/FC) and Ibtihaj Muhammad (PWF/FC). I would also like to congratulate our 25 high school seniors, who will be fencing at Princeton, Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Air Force Academy, Northwestern, and many other colleges this Fall.
On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank our dedicated Executive Director, Liz Cross, FC staff, our best-in-class coaches, as well as our entire member community for your continued support. Sincerely,
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Rex R. K. Chung Chairman Fencers Club
From the Executive Director Fencers Club, as the oldest continuously existing fencing organization in the Western Hemisphere, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the pursuit of excellence both on and off the fencing strip. We are inspired and motivated by the challenges and opportunities that the Olympic sport of fencing offers us. Through fencing, we aim to make a positive impact in our members’ lives and make sustainable contributions to our local and international communities.
In this annual Viewbook, we thank some of our key members of the Fencers Club community who have been an integral part of our success and, at times, supported our very existence. We showcase our varied and far-reaching programs that earned us recognition from both the US Olympic Committee and the International Fencing Federation (FIE). We will also share our vision for the future of Fencers Club and unveil the plans for our new permanent home, which will provide more than 25,000 square feet of brand new space in Midtown West. Thank you for your support, friendship, and for your trust. The Fencers Club Board of Directors, dedicated and talented FC Staff, our amazing cadre of coaches and I will continue to strive to do great work that will benefit our members and families, as well as our local and global communities. 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, 2007-2016:
BOARD MEMBERS Rex Chung, Chairman
EIG Global Energy Partners Managing Director and Co-Head of Asia
Philippe Bennett, President Partner, Alston & Bird Law Firm
Annik Wolf, Vice President
Guggenheim Museum, Arts Education Board, Strategic Planning Committee
Tony Lee, Treasurer
Managing Partner, One Rock Capital Investment
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,
United States Air Force Academy, 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
Julio Mazzoli, Secretary
Attorney at Law Office of Julio Mazzoli, PC
Alan Getz
President, Vanguard Investors
Merve Gursel
Interior Designer and Philanthropist focused on Youth Sports Development
Alan Hirschfeld
Neurosurgeon at Harlem Hospital
David Raso
Senior Managing Director and Partner, Evercore ISI
Erinn Smart
2008 Team Silver Medalist Peter Westbrook Foundation
Denis Tolkachev Analyst, Capital Group
Adam Weintraub
Koko Architecture + Design, Owner
Peter Westbrook
Executive Director, Peter Westbrook Foundation
Fencers Club
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Congratulations Fencers Club
Alexandra Banin Northwestern University Foil; Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Caitlin Buteau
Duke University Foil; Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Anne Cebula
Fordham University Epee; Coach Kornel Udvarhleyi
Isabella Chung Bobby Cottingham Andrew Doddo New York University Princeton University Foil; Coaches Simon and Sabre; Coach Akhi Spencer-El Irene Gershon
Aahana Chatterjee Northwestern University Epee
Spencer Gordon Sand
Columbia University University of Chicago Sabre; Coach Akhi Spencer-El Foil; Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Graduating Class of 2016!
Malcolm Miller Yale University Epee; Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi
Shomari Moore
New York University Epee; Coach Alexey Cheremsky
Omari Smoak
St. John’s University Epee; Coach Alexey Cheremsky
Inbar Tivon
University of Pennsylvania Foil; Coach Mikhail Petin
Rachael Sternlicht Samantha Viqueira Katherine Wallace Sylvie Williams Cornell University Foil; Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Notre Dame University Foil; Coach Buckie Leach
Notre Dame University Epee; Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi
University of Edinburgh Epee; Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi
Not pictured:
Jonathan Hsu
U.S. Air Force Academy Foil 6
Fencers Club
Rebekah Jones
Cornell University Epee; Coach Boris Vaksman
Michael Lee
Natalie Martinez
New York University Johns Hopkins University Foil; Coach Mikhail Petin Sabre; Coach Akhi Spencer-El
Nicholas Yang New York University Epee; Coach Alexey Cheremsky
Jack Glaser
Columbia University Sabre, Coach Akhi Spencer-El
Isaiah Garlin
Cornell University Sabre, Coach Achiko Lortkipanidze
Jacob Price
Natalie Yang
University of Denver Foil, Coach Mikhail Petin
Harvard University Foil, Coach Mikhail Petin
Fencers Club
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Fencers Club Alumni
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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
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
Fencers Club
2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 2010 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 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
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 Duke University Columbia University Stanford University Columbia University Boston College Penn State University Duke University Princeton University Emory College Cornell University
2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011
Sarah Alkilany Andrew Ark Nazahah Booth Khelsi Clarke Brandon Hubbard Hailey Huddleston Christine Jiang Jonathan Lee Ariana LewkowitzShpuntoff
MIT 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
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
2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011
Ben Loft Quinn McCann Chelsea Martinez Idris Mitchell Adam Omar Andrei Tapai Isis Washington Khristopher White Isobel Williams
2012 2012 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 Annalisa Ranaboldo Charlotte Sands
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 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
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
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
2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014 2014
Yasmeen Omer James Sands Jonah Shainberg Philip Shin Ceara Sweeney Ariana Tafti Khalil Thompson Alexandra Viqueira Grace Wong Stephanie Ying
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
2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016
Alexandra Banin Caitlin Buteau Anne Cebula Aahana Chatterjee Isabella Chung Robert Cottingham III Andrew Doddo Isaiah Garlin Jack Glaser Spencer Gordon Sand Jonathan Hsu Rebekah Jones Michael Lee Natalie Martinez Malcolm Miller Shomari Moore Jacob Price Omari Smoak Rachel Sternlicht Inbar Tivon Sam Viquiera Katherine Wallace Sylvie Williams Natalie Yang Nicholas Yang
Northwestern University Duke University Fordham University Northwestern University Princeton University New York University Columbia University Columbia University Cornell University University of Chicago U.S. Air Force Academy Cornell University New York University Johns Hopkins University Yale University New York University University of Denver Saint John’s University Cornell University University of Pennsylvania Notre Dame University Notre Dame University University of Edinburgh Harvard University New York University
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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 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
level of competitive success.
participate in our mentoring program, beyond
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 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
Program is to provide opportunities to
our Partner Schools’ students to fence and
what is available during the regular school program.
American region in the FIE-CMI. The program consists of coach, athlete and referee training
sessions run by our talented and internationally recognized coaches.
Simon Gershon - Foil
instruction while promoting a welcoming
atmosphere and a diverse culture of sharing.
Summer Day Camp
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
all fencing equipment and use of our state-of-
to represent the United States and the Pan-
Ed Elterman - Foil
camps is to provide the highest level of fencing
by networking highly successful clubs across the globe. In 2014, Fencers Club was chosen
Mihaly Csikany - Sabre
The underpinning goal of all our training
We engage able-bodied and disabled military
base and elevate the level of fencing worldwide
Alexey Cheremsky - Epee
Training Camps
The International Fencing Federation’s (FIE)
Clubs Movement Initiative aims to broaden the
Fencers Club
The Fencers Club Schools Partnership program
The goal of the Fencers Club Enrichment
the US Olympic Team and achieving the highest
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FC Schools Partnership
leadership, teaching and teamwork skills while
earning income to support their goals of making
Fencers Club Coaches
Irene Gershon - Foil
Buckie Leach - Foil
Archil Lortkipanidze - Sabre
Veterans and Active Duty personnel in fencing by providing two weekly training sessions,
the-art facility. We give our service members opportunities to compete and to become
mentors in our community. Through fencing, we promote physical fitness and emotional
well-being in those who have honorably served our country.
Mikhail Petin - Foil
Akhi Spencer-El - Sabre
Kornel Udvarhelyi - Epee Boris Vaksman - Epee
Fencers Club
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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 the Fencers Club Schools
Partnership, we seek to partner with schools to facilitate students’ physical, intellectual and emotional growth, especially during highly formative years.
Fencers Club
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Partner School Coaching Roster
Zaheer Booth - Sabre
Mihaly Csikany - Sabre
Jean Goto - Foil/Epee
Alen Hadzic - Epee
FENCERS CLUB SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP Marta Hausman - Foil
Aziza Hassan - Sabre
COMMUNITY OLYMPIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM Konate Primus - Sabre
Curtis McDowald - Epee
Ally Ryf - Epee
Doug Tableman - Epee 14
Fencers Club
Jessica Sherman - Epee
Khris White - Epee
Irene Spezzamonte - Foil
Natalie Vie - Epee
Partner Schools & Organizations Academic Year 2015-2016
Academy of Saint Joseph 111 Washington Place New York, NY 10014-6820
Grace Church School 86 Fourth Avenue New York, NY 10003
Public School #452 100 West 77th Street New York, NY 10024
Anderson School 100 West 77th Street New York, NY 10024
Korean American Family Service Center Flushing, NY 11354
Safe in My Brothers’ Arms Academy 112 Schermerhorn Street Brooklyn, NY 11201
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
The Gateway School 211 West 61st Street New York, NY 10023
PS3: The Charrette School 490 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014
George Jackson Academy 104 Saint Marks Place New York, NY 10009
PS199: Jesse Isador Straus School 270 West 70th Street New York, NY 10023
Dwight Smith - Epee
Isis Washington - Epee
Saint Stephen of Hungary School 408 East 82nd Street New York, NY 10028 The Ramaz School 125 East 85th Street New York, NY 10028 United Nations International School 24-50 FDR Drive New York, NY 10010 Winston Preparatory School 126 West 17th Street New York, NY 10011 TOTAL STUDENTS SERVED: 1,000+
Rafael Western - Sabre Fencers Club
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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 and athletes from PanAmerican fencing federations to advance their 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 state-of-the-art and comprehensive programs in which international coaches and athletes will further their technical and tactical knowledge for improving the level of fencing in their regions • Promote active learning and adaptation to each country and region’s fencing 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 long-term sustainable fencing programs
Building upon the current partnership and shared vision and goals of FIE Clubs Movement Initiative, we launched the Fencers Club International Fencing Advancement program in 2014. With the support of the FIE, the Foundation for the Future of Fencing, and the Marmara Hotel Group, this program has had 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:
(in blue)
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Fencers Club
Fencers Club
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Fencers Club 2015 Summer 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, and bridge construction. 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.
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!
Daily Schedule: 9:00AM -10:30AM -12:00PM -12:30PM -1:00PM -1:30PM -2:30PM -3:00PM -3:30PM 18
Fencers Club
Arrival | Breakfast Academic Session 1 Academic Session 2 Lunch Free-time activities Fencing-related games Footwork & drills Supervised bouting Clean up, store gear, snack and depart Fencers Club
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2015 Summer 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
7th Annual Symposium on College Fencing Friday, September 11, 2015
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 2015, 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 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:
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
Zaheer Booth: Zaheer got his start fencing witht the Peter Westbrook Foundation. Since then, he has become a top sabre fencer. He attends Hunter College and continues his training at Fencers Club and the PWF. He also coaches and mentors students in our Schools Partnership Program.
Sean White:
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Fencers Club
Originally from Virginia, Sean now attends St. John’s University and fences epee for the Red Storm. In addition to training and competing at the NCAA level, Sean is also a substitute coach in our Schools Partnership Program.
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Selected Fencing Achievements 2010 World Championships
2012 Olympic Games
2013 Seoul Senior World Cup
Beijing, China
Paris, France
London, England
Seoul, Korea
Senior Men’s Foil - Gold Medal Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
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
Senior Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Nzingha Prescod Coach Buckie Leach
2011 Junior World Championships Dead Sea, Jordan
Belfast, Ireland Cadet Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Nzingha Prescod, Coach Buckie Leach
Women’s Foil Nicole Ross Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Junior Team Women’s Foil Gold Medal Nicole Ross, Nzingha Prescod and Epiphany Georges Coaches: Simon Gershon, Buckie Leach
Nzingha Prescod (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
2014 Division I National Championships
2013 Paris Senior Grand Prix
2014 Junior World Cup
Paris, France
Timisoara, Romania
Men’s Foil Team - Gold Medal Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Junior Women’s Foil - Silver Medal Iman Blow (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
Veteran Women’s Foil Margaret Fagan – Gold Medal Coach Mikhail Petin
Kiev, Ukraine
2011 World Rankings
2013 Bologna Senior World Cup Men’s Team Epee - Gold Medal Benjamin Bratton Coach Seoung-Woo Lee
2013 World Championships
Veteran 70+ Men’s Epee Marcel Miernik – Gold Medal Coach Alexey Cheremsky
2015 NCAA Championships
Toronto, Canada
Women’s Epee - Gold Medal Isis Washington (PWF/FC) St. John’s University Coach Boris Vaksman
Junior Women’s Foil Iman Blow (PWF/FC) - Gold Medal Coach Buckie Leach Samantha Viquiera - Bronze Medal Coach Buckie Leach
2015 Junior World Cup Zagreb, Croatia
Junior Women’s Epee Caira Moreira-Brown (PWF/FC) Bronze Medal Coach Alexey Cheremsky
Junior Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Iman Blow (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
Junior Men’s Sabre Jonah Shainberg - Bronze Medal Coach Achiko Lortkipanidze
2015 Orleans World Cup Orleans, France
Cadet Men’s Foil Max Chung - Bronze Medal Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Senior Women’s Sabre - Bronze Medal Ibtihaj Muhammad (PWF/FC) Coach Akhi Spencer-El
2015 Shanghai Grand Prix
Miles Chamley-Watson Individual Men’s Foil World Champion Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
2015 Junior World Championships
Shanghai, China
Tashkent, Uzbekistan
2014 Gdansk Senior Grand Prix
Sara Taffel Individual Women’s Foil World Champion Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Senior Men’s Foil - Gold Medal Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
2013 Marseille Grand Prix Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Evgeniya Kirpicheva, Saint John’s
2015 Junior & Cadet Pan-American Championships
Budapest, Hungary Women’s Sabre - Silver Medal Ibtihaj Muhammad (PWC/FC) Coach Akhi Spencer-El
2012 NCAA Championships
2012 Junior and Cadet World Championships
Fencers Club
Women’s Sabre - Bronze Medal Ibtihaj Muhammad (PWF/FC) Coach Akhi Spencer-El
Division I Men’s Epee - Gold Medal Yeisser Ramirez Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi
2012 World Championships
Men’s Foil - 2nd Ranked Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Moscow, Russia
Minneapolis, MN
Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Nzingha Prescod, Coach Buckie Leach
2009 Junior & Cadet World Championships
2014 Moscow Grand Prix
Richmond, VA
2008 Olympic Games
Team Men’s Saber Silver Medal Keeth Smart, Coach Yuri Gelman James Williams, Coach Yuri Gelman Tim Morehouse, Coach Yuri Gelman
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2013 Division I National Championships
Senior Women’s Foil - Gold Medal Nzingha Prescod (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
Gdansk, Poland Senior Women’s Foil - Silver Medal Nzingha Prescod (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
2016 Bonn World Cup Bonn, Germany Senior Men’s Foil - Silver Medal Miles Chamley-Watson Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
2015 Seoul Grand Prix Seoul, Korea
2016 Athens World Cup Athens, Greece
2015 World Championships
Moscow, Russia
Moscow, Russia
Cadet Women’s Foil - Silver Medal Sara Taffel Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Senior Women’s Foil - Bronze Medal Nzingha Prescod (PWF/FC) Coach Buckie Leach
Senior Women’s Sabre - Silver Medal Ibtihaj Muhammad (PWF/FC) Coach Akhi Spencer-El
Senior Women’s Sabre - Silver Medal Ibtihaj Muhammad (PWF/FC) Coach Akhi Spencer-El
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Fencers Club Awards 2015-2016
Fencers Club Pro Shop Award for Most Improved Fencer
Gould-Hirschfeld Sportsmanship Award
This award chosen by a panel of coaches and is presented
This award is presented to the fencer who has exhibited a strong
to the fencer who has made dramatic strides in fencing by
understanding and commitment to fair play, ethical behavior, and
having a keen understanding of the game and effectively
above all, uncompromising integrity both on and off the strip.
utilizing the practice time.
Curtis McDowald
For achieving his goal of making the National Junior Team for men’s epee. He also won the Junior Men’s Epee event at the November North American Cup (2015), as well as
earned twin bronze medals in Division I and Junior Men’s Epee at the January North American Cup (2016).
Rei Weintraub
For her remarkable progress culminating in a top 8 finish in Cadet Women’s Foil at the 2016 Junior Olympics and
earning her “A” rating. Rei was also a member of the gold
medal winning women’s foil team representing the USA at the Challenge Aramis International Youth Event in France.
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 a member who has made significant and
fencing excellence and superiority in their performance on
sustained contributions to benefit the club and its members
the strip. A panel of coaches and fencers has selected the
and programs.
following fencers for this prestigious award:
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Achievements: Member of 2016 U.S. Olympic Team; Bronze Medal at the 2016 Athens World Cup; Bronze Medal at the 2015 Orleans World Cup; Silver Medal at the 2015 Seoul Grand Prix; Bronze Medal at the USA Fencing National Championships (Division I); Member of Bronze Medal
Winning Senior World Championship Team (2015) and Gold Medal Pan-American Championship Team (2015).
Alen Hadzic
Achievements: Gold Medal at the October, 2015 North
American Cup (Division I); Gold Medal at the January, 2016 North American Cup (Division I); Gold Medal at the July, 2015 Challenge (Division I). 26
Fencers Club
Zaheer Booth
For his dedication to serving our community through
coaching in the Fencers Club Schools Partnership, Saturday Enrichment and Partner Schools tournaments. His
commitment to the sport of fencing and to our community are exemplary.
Outstanding Partner School Coach Award
Doug Tableman
For his strong work ethic, superb sportsmanship and
commitment to elevating the level of competitiveness
among all fencers at the club and as a coach in our Schools Partnership Program. Doug is an exemplary fencer and a kind, caring member of the Fencers Club community.
Margaret Lu
For her strong work ethic, sportsmanship and commitment to elevating the level of competitiveness among all fencers at the club. Margaret trains hard with all members of
the club, regardless of their levels. As one of the top U.S.
female foil fencers, she shares her commitment to fencing excellence and competitiveness with the FC community.
2016 Fencers Club MVP Award
The Most Valuable Player Award is presented to a member
This award is presented to one of our team of School
who is valuable to the club as an athlete, donor or organizer,
Coaches for his/her outstanding service to the Fencers
and someone who has become an indispensable contributor
Club Schools Partnership Program.
to the Fencers Club community.
Dwight Smith
Merve Gursel
For his dedication to coaching, mentoring and imparting
Merve brings her passion and commitment to fencing
invaluable member of the school coaching roster since the
youth development worldwide. Merve facilitated a key
the love of learning through fencing to students throughout our Schools Partnership Program. Dwight has been an program’s inception.
to Fencers Club’s community. She shares her vision
and resources with the club to promote fencing and
partnership with the Marmara Hotel Group that allows us to provide international training programs with the FIE.
Lifetime commitment to fencing excellence award
This award is presented to a member in recognition of his/her lifetime of contribution to the betterment of both fencing and Fencers Club.
Arnold Messing
For his long-standing support of our Club and passion
for fencing, Arnie is exemplary in his commitment to the Fencers Club ideal of life-long learning.
Fencers 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 twenty 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 and 2015 NYC Veterans Day Parades as our Veteran fencers marched up New York’s iconic Fifth Avenue in front of an estimated crowd of 300,000 spectators each November. 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 program is funded in part by a generous grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as private donations.
Fencers Club Financials
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.
Fencers Club Revenue and Expenses Overview 2013 - 2016
REVENUE CONTRIBUTIONS & GRANTS CLUB INCOME PARTNER SCHOOLS PROGRAM PRO SHOP SALES (NET) TOTAL REVENUE
In partnership with:
EXPENSES RENT & UTILITIES CLUB EXPENSES & MEMBER SERVICES PAYROLL, PAYROLL EXPENSES, PROFESSIONAL AND COACHING FEES TOTAL EXPENSES
EXCESS OR (DEFICIENCY) OF REVENUE OVER EXPENSES 28
Fencers Club
9/1/2013-‐ 8/31/2014 Audited
173,930 1,025,201 175,061 83,895
9/1/2014-‐ 8/31/2015 Unaudited
660,725 1,161,883 165,015 37,019
9/1/2015-‐ 8/31/2016 Projected
240,000 1,256,377 168,315 60,000
1,458,087
2,024,642
1,724,692
595,229 433,708
616,819 466,387
666,006 475,715
478,158
1,507,095
579,495
579,495
1,662,701
1,721,216
-49,008
361,941
3,476
Fencers Club
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Donors 2015-2016 1883 Society - $50,000 and up Anonymous
Leaders - $20,000 and up Rex and Jeena Chung David and Melissa Raso U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Benefactors - $10,000 and up Merve Gursel Annik Wolf
Gold Members - $5,000 to $9,999 Philippe Bennett The Capital Group Ms. Gould and Dr. Hirschfeld The Hoffen Family Foundation
Tony Lee and So-Chung Shinn Adam Weintraub and Mishi Hosono
Silver Members - $2000 to $4,999 Absolute Fencing Gear Elizabeth Cross Alan Getz The Omar Family Radical Fencing
Bronze Members - $1,000 to $1,999
The Banin Family The Chapman Family The Friedman Family
Julio Mazzoli Simon and Irene Gershon
Friends
John and Jean Nonna Khalid Al-Shuaibi The Balaban Family Paul Oratofsky The Boucher-Rowe Family The Pae Family Robert and Laura Pavlovich Alex Chan and Family The Dixon Family The Pelosky Family Ibrahim Elhari Kristina Perkin-Davison The Kamimura Family Mikhail Petin Hugh and Sandra Lawson The Plenty Family Owen Possick Achiko Lortkipanidze The Marotta Family The Peter Westbrook Foundation Anne Mathews The Reckling Family Erinn Smart Abigail Merleman Marcel Miernik Eugene Vastola & Anna Bogdanow Peter Miller & Julia Whitehead Ute Wartenberg The Washington Family
Sponsors and Supporters
Photo by Nathan Perkel
Absolute Fencing Gear Alexey Cheremsky Bruce Pandolfini Dr. Michelle Yagoda Ed Elterman Erinn Smart Goldman Sachs Ibtihaj Muhammad International Fencing Federation Dr. Jean-Marc Oppenheim Keeth Smart
Kornel Udvarhelyi L’artusi Restaurant Melissa Gregory Red Bull Shinn Jewelry The Marmara Hotel Group The Raso Family Szechuan Kitchen The U.S. Olympic Committee U.S. Paralympics VISA
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
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 Sasha Lytvyn
Congratulations, Isabella! We are so proud of you!
We are so proud of you, Alex! Love, Mom, Dad and Izzy
Alex, Max, Mom, Dad, and Dr. YS Chung & Dr. Inhi Chung
Congratulations, Rebekah and Sylvie! Fencers Club wishes you both all the best.
Rebekah Jones Cornell University 34
Fencers Club
Sylvie Williams University of Edinburgh Fencers Club
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Fencers Club in the Community
Olympic Day 2015 Saturday, June 20
Fencers Club is the only fencing club in the country recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee as a Community Olympic Development Program. Each year, the club hosts an Olympic Day celebration to mark the founding of the modern Games and to engage youth in the Olympic Movement through sport. On Saturday, June 20, more than 100 youth fencers attended our Olympic Day event, in which 7 Olympians and 1 Paralympian spoke about training, setting goals, perserverance, sportsmanship and achieving at the highest competitive level.
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Fencers Club
Fencers Club
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Fencers Club: Past, Present and Future Tuesday, May 10
On Tuesday, May 10, Fencers Club members, families and friends gathered at the University Club in Midtown to honor the contributions of all our Olympians (many of whom were in attendance), showcase our diverse programs, and unveil our new permanent home at 509 W. 38th Street (see opposite). There was also a silent auction, and all proceeds from the event went towards our Building Fund. We would like to thank everyone for their support.
Introducing Fencers Club’s New Permanent Home at 509 W. 38th Street
Interior
Estimated Completion: Fall 2017
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Fencers Club
All photos by Paul Oratofsky
Architect: John Tinmouth, AIA, LEED AP Principal, Tinmouth Chang Architects
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The Peter Westbrook Foundation: A Partner Organization
Photo by Daniel Shea
On October 9, 2015, the Peter Westbrook Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary with a premiere showing of the documentary “A Path to Excellence,� produced by Carl Borack and narrated by Richard Dreyfuss.
Photo by Originel Magazine
Congratulations, Olympians!
Miles Chamley-Watson
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Coaches Simon and Irene Gershon
Coach Akhi Spencer-El (PWF/FC)
Photo by Serge Timacheff
Photo courtesy of the Egyptian Fencing Federation
Congratulations 2016 PWF Olympians, and good luck in Rio!
Ibtihaj Muhammad 40
Fencers Club
Coach Akhi Spencer-El
Nzingha Prescod Coach Buckie Leach
Nzingha Prescod
Juliana Barrett (rsa)
Coach Buckie Leach (PWF/FC)
Coach Kornel Udvarhelyi
Fencers Club
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229 W. 28th Street, 2nd Floor • NYC 10001
www.fencersclub.org info@fencersclub.org facebook.com/fencersclub 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 2016