This is our middle son, Theodore (Teddy). He loves all sports, reading & piano duets with his brothers. He started “swinging sticks” at age two. His favorite characters are Aragorn and Yoda. And he likes practicing his disengage with chopsticks (bad table manners, I know). 

This kid is naturally shy, in part because his Dyslexia made reading out loud at school painfully embarrassing for him. 

He competed in Summer Nationals 2022 as an 8yo. He didn’t win any medals, but his fencing buddies were all there and the event made him feel like a really cool kid in a huge club full of cool people. He got his name printed on the back of his lame and we sewed a club patch on his jacket. It was a really BIG DEAL in the most POSITIVE way.

We live in a small town in Kentucky. Where we’re from, a national fencing tournament is something the state newspaper calls your mom about. It’s a thing your school principal ads to the list of “morning announcements” read over the intercom. When you see them on the sidewalk, your neighbors wish you good luck and tell you how proud they are to know you. So, yeah. It’s a REALLY BIG DEAL.

Fencing has given Teddy the gift of confidence.

We are immensely grateful for this gift. 

Tell us what fencing means to your family! Even better, tell your friends! Then send them a link to this petition. Let’s get to 1,500 signatures today. We can do it! 

Also, a huge thank you to Igor Chirashyna for another thoughtful and moving piece on the importance of National Youth Competition!

You can read it here: Urgent: Why You Should Sign the Petition to Save Y10 & Y12 National Competitions

Wishing you all a safe, happy and healthy weekend! Thank you for all you do!!!!

xoxo

C