Today I have the distinct honor of speaking with one of fencing’s most impactful figures and someone who’s just been a really great person to get to know in my three years with USA Fencing. It’s Don Anthony. Donald is not just a world-class fencer who competed for Team USA at two Senior World Championships; he’s also a visionary sports executive, an entrepreneur, and a transformational leader. He’s served as President and Chair of USA Fencing, a Vice President of the FIE, and now leads The Ohio State University’s fencing program as Head Coach.

From discovering fencing at age 7 in Cleveland, to studying engineering at Princeton, to earning his MBA from the Wharton School — all while building a career that spans IBM, entrepreneurial ventures, and influential roles in the fencing world — Don’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary.

Today we have a three-part episode for you: we’ll explore his fencing journey, how he balances coaching and leadership roles, and the legacy he’s building for future generations of fencers at Ohio State.

And as we’ve been doing here in season of our show, we’ll end with five quick questions.

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Today we have a very special guest — someone who has remained in the top 16 world rankings for men's foil each year since 2012: Alexander Massialas. We'll talk about three big topics:

His own fencing career — how he got started, his Olympic experiences, and what keeps him competing at the highest level.

His new role as a collegiate coach — why he chose this path, what it’s like to coach at Stanford, and advice for young fencers hoping to fence in college.

How he balances it all — competing internationally while also leading one of the country’s most prestigious fencing programs.

And at the end, we’ll wrap up with a fresh round of Quick Hits, where we’ll hit Alex with five fast, quirky questions that’ll put him on the spot in the best way possible.

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Today we’re talking with one of the most exciting young talents in the sport, Jaelyn Liu. At just 15 years old, Jaelyn has already made history by becoming the youngest U.S. Women’s Foil fencer to win a senior World Cup gold medal, a feat she accomplished in January in Hong Kong. This win came less than a year after she claimed the cadet world championship title in Riyadh, cementing her status as one of fencing’s rising stars.

We’ll talk about Jaelyn’s journey, what it was like to beat some of the best foilists in the world, and her goals for the future. And later, we’ll wrap up with our new segment, Quick Hits, where we ask five rapid-fire questions that are quirky, fun and a little thought-provoking. So stick around for that, and let’s dive in!

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch.

The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.

Today, we’re talking with Lauren Scruggs, who made her Olympic debut in Paris and walked away with two medals—a silver in the individual event and gold in the team event.

In addition to her Olympic success, Lauren is a standout student-athlete at Harvard University, where she fences under Head Coach Daria Schneider. She’s also been part of the incredible Peter Westbrook Foundation legacy, a program that’s shaped so many of the sport’s top fencers.

Today, we’ll talk about the path to Paris, her performance on the Olympic stage, anchoring Team USA to that gold medal, and life since Aug. 1.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch.

The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.

In this episode, we’re celebrating the unsung heroes who made it all possible: the cadre, or as we like to call them, the “team behind the team.”

Joining us are four key members of this incredible group:

• Dagmara Wozniak, a three-time Olympian and the current U.S. Women’s Saber National Team Coach, who served as team captain in Paris.
• Kate Reisinger, USA Fencing’s Chief of Sport Performance and the team leader in Paris.
• Liz Morey, the team armorer who ensured the athletes’ equipment was competition-ready.
• And Dr. Peggy Chin, USA Fencing’s Director of Sport Performance and the primary sports med provider for the team.

The guests also gave special shoutouts to the three other cadre members: Kaitlyn Litten, Adam Thompson and Bryan Wendell.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch.

The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.

In today’s episode, we’re speaking with the three Women’s Foil training partners who played a pivotal role in Team USA’s historic gold medal run at the Paris 2024 Olympics: Zander Rhodes, Katerina Lung, and Stefani Deschner. Let's dive into their unique experiences and how they supported the team to victory.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch.

The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.

Joining us today are the coaches behind that winning effort — Ralf Bissdorf, head coach of the U.S. Women’s Foil team and an Olympic silver medalist with Germany. And Brian Kaneshige, assistant coach for the team and a powerhouse coach and fencer in his own right.

We’re going to talk about the intense preparation, tactical choices and emotional moments that made this victory possible.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn

Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch.

The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.

Today, we have the pleasure of talking with Maia Weintraub, one of Team USA’s shining stars in women’s foil and a key player in the U.S. team's unforgettable Olympic win in Paris 2024. Maia made history not only by stepping into a high-stakes match as a substitute against Italy but also by coming out on top in both her bouts, contributing to a groundbreaking gold medal for Team USA.

• Visit the USA Fencing website
• Follow USA Fencing on Instagram
• Read a transcript for this episode

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First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing

Host: Bryan Wendell

Cover art: Manna Creations

Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn