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Wow! What an incredible experience at Fencing Summer Nationals!! These past two weeks were a success beyond what we could have possibly imagined, and it’s so incredibly gratifying to see the hard work and dedication of our fencing families, coaches, staff, and, most importantly, our fencers come to life in such an unbelievable way.
You all know that the medal count is not what we compete for. In fencing competition, even and especially at this level, we do it for the growth of our fencers and the huge leap in personal development that this kind of experience provides for them. It’s a week of learning and pushing yourself to your limits, the culmination of many months of preparation support.
That being said, we are over the moon with the outstanding results that our fencers achieved! This year was exceptional for AFM at Summer Nationals! Our fencers truly showed that they are not only talented but, more importantly, that they are able to transform their passion into the achievement of their goals.
In terms of those goals, we witnessed our incredible fencers reach the heights they’ve been chasing. We saw our highest every amount of red jackets on the podiums, with 14 medals total, including 3 Gold! We celebrate our champions and medalists! See the full list of AFM achievements below in this issue! Our fencers showed how much genuine growth they achieved and joy they brought to the strip.
Inside the tournament, the atmosphere was absolutely electric and so exciting. Those who didn’t make it to the podium also walked away with so much. Competing at this level, no matter the result, is energizing. The feel of the venue, the huge number of fencers all in one place, the inspiring stories, and the hard-won connections with teammates help us to see that the world is bigger than we imagine, but also that we are an important part of that world.
The logistics of this kind of competition are immense, especially for parents. Thank you so much to our AFM staff, coaches, and parents for making this whole thing go as smoothly as it did. What made SN so successful for our fencers was largely their ability to focus on fencing, thanks to the guidance and dedication of their community. These were very long days for our staff, parents, and coaches, and we are so thankful for the time that you put in. We hope that all of the adults who pushed hard to get our fencers here are able to get some rest and take some time to recover, because you have all most certainly earned it.
For our fencers, now it’s time for a well-deserved breath of air after these months of preparation. It’s through reflection that we can internalize the lessons and growth that are such an important part of this Summer Nationals process.
May this reinvigorate your fencing and help you to believe that your dreams are possible - because they are! For those of you who didn’t attend, we are also grateful for your support and investment in your journey. No matter where you are in the competitive roster, you are a valuable part of the AFM family.
In a couple of weeks, we’ll start the whole cycle again, but now we go into it knowing that we are stronger and more tightly woven together than ever before. Thank you, thank you to everyone who attended Fencing Summer Nationals. It’s you who make it all so special, and we are so profoundly grateful and proud of each of you!
Sincerely yours,
Irina
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New Season 2022-2023 Opens August 1st
The new fencing season opens in just two weeks, on August 1st!
The new schedule and suggested classes are sent to your emails.
If you need to adjust the private lesson schedule, please email us with a clear subject, fencer name, and request.
Each year, we have the opportunity to create a fresh journey, think big, and achieve whatever it is we’d like to achieve. Now is the time to work with your coach to think about your goals and what you want to get out of this season. A goal plan is a roadmap, and anyone who’s ever been on a road trip knows that there are always surprises, but you’d never go without a map.
This year we’re more excited than ever to take on new challenges and continue to build community. Right now, our coaches and staff are working on what’s coming for the year, taking the momentum of this summer’s amazing performances and translating that into something that will help everyone reach the next level - whatever level that might be for you!
We’re enthusiastic about so many new possibilities, and expect our training to reflect that enthusiasm.
May 2022-2023 season will be the best so far for the AFM and every fencer! Go, AFM!
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Two AFM Fencers Made it to the World Teams!
Congratulations to Jere Bothelio and Aan Buchwald for making it to the USA National Worl Team Vet 70!!! Way to go!!!!
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Back to Season Camp for Beginner and Intermediate Levels
August 1- 5, 2022
As we get ready for the start of the school year, it’s important to get started on a good foot. Participating in one of our back-to-season camps is the best way to get your legs back under you after the break, especially if you weren’t part of the preparation for Fencing Summer Nationals. If you did go to the competition, this camp would help you pull your body and mind into a fresh place for the new season.
This year, we’re offering some great opportunities for this training, and we’re excited to have our fencers reset and get ready for the new school year. Balancing fencing and everything else is no small thing, and a back-to-season camp will help fencers feel prepared and ahead of the game before the start of the season.
Back to Season Summer Camp 2
Open for all current Beginner and Intermediate level fencers
August 1, 2022 - August 5, 2022
9 am - 12 pm
Sunnyvale location
All regular classes are conducted as scheduled
Sign up -
https://askfred.net/Clinics/moreInfo.php?clinic_id=50132
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New Season USA Fencing Membership
It’s time to upgrade USA Fencing membership again! Every season, USFA requires all fencers who want to participate in sanctioned activities to renew their membership. As it’s now a new season, that means it’s time to renew!
Every fencer must upgrade or renew their membership to participate in class, private lessons, or camps. There are no exceptions! These are rules from USFA, and as a sanctioned club, we’re required to abide by them in order to keep our own membership.
It’s our recommendation that all students from the intermediate class and above upgrade to the competitive level. Whether you are quite ready for competitive fencing or not, it’s a good idea to just head on up to the next level for our intermediate fencers. This is a great way to push yourself and raise those expectations just a little, as we continue to keep improving and growing. Getting into competition will help you develop!
Again, EVERY FENCER must be registered with the USFA to participate in fencing activities at AFM. It just takes a few minutes to renew online. USA Fencing opened registration on July 1, and it’s very easy to check your status and renew online. https://www.usafencing.org/news_article/show/1230518
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USA Fencing All-Academic and All-American teams
Congratulations to all AFM honorees!
We have an unbelievably amazing group of high school students who have achieved the honor of being named members of the Absolute Fencing Gear All Academic Team and the USA Fencing High School All American Program!
Our list is truly impressive, with 39 (!!!) high school students who made the cut and are now able to call themselves All American and All Academic. Not only are they stupendous on the strip, they’re also stupendous in the classroom.
For those of you unfamiliar, these are wonderful honors that speak to the dedication and intellect of these young people. They’re more than just pieces of paper - they’re a recognition that these fencers are balancing high levels of academic rigor with high levels of fencing achievement, and both of those are things that are challenging in and of themselves.
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Absolute Fencing Gear All-Academic Team - GPA of 3.85 or higher AND be in the top 25% of their high school class for the first team, GPA of 3.4-3.84 in their core academic classes for second team
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USA Fencing All American Program - Fencers are chosen based on their exceptional character, as assessed through submission materials. First Team: earned A or B rating, Second Team: earned C or D rating, Honorable Mention: earned or renewed E rating
Again, to have had such a huge number of our fencers chosen for these honors is fantastic! Congrats to all of you, and please congratulate the fencers below for their work and achievement!
If you did not get your certificate in Minneapolis at Fencing Summer Nationals, then it will be mailed to you by the National Office within a few weeks.
2021-2022 USA Fencing All-Americans
First Team:
Ian Alvarez
Adam Chirashnya
Natalie Gebala
Hailey Haberman
Sarthak Jain
Ben Kim
Jonathan Levitsky
Elliot Park
Agniv Sarkar
Kevin Wong
Alec Zhang
Veronika Zherebchevska
Second Team
Kaitlyn Lee
Anish Sarkar
Alex Ulinich
Darren Watt
Honorable Mention
Nicholas Lomio
Nathan Zhang
2021-2022 Absolute Fencing Gear All-Academic
First Team
Ian Alvarez
Adam Chirashnya
Natalie Gebala
Hailey Haberman
Sarthak Jain
Ben Kim
Priscilla Leang
Kaitlyn Lee
Jonathan Levitsky
Noah Liu
Leehi Machulsky
Nathan Ming
Elliot Park
Desiree Poon
Alex Ulinich
Darren Watt
Kevin Wong
Grace Yin
Alec Zhang
Second Team
Charlotte Li
Anish Sarkar
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Welcome to coach Carmine Carpenito!
We are thrilled to welcome the newest coach and member of the AFM team, coach Carmine Carpenito, who comes to us with a major level of talent and achievement from Italy. He is a serious and supportive addition to the AFM outstanding coaching team, who brings with him a wealth of knowledge and a deep understanding of how to support fencers in reaching their goals.
Coach Carmine worked with his fencers competitively all over the world, and his fencers have risen to the level of international competitors at the highest levels. His passion for teaching is evident not only in the way that these students can achieve on the fencing strip but also in how they learn to become well-rounded individuals.
His students have won dozens of medals at the highest levels, including the Junior World Cup, the European Championships, and the Junior Teams World Championships. His list of accomplishments at the international level is extensive, having coached epeeists including Valerio Cuomo, and Simone Esposito all the way to gold at the World Cup and World Championships. He has also coached medaling teams at the Junior World Cup, and brings a wealth of experience in team coaching.
Besides strictly coaching, Carpenito has a reputation as being an elite video analyst at the Olympic level, having worked in this capacity for the Olympic Italian National Team on many occasions. He holds a Masters's degree in Management and Organization of High-Level Sports from the University of the Forno in Rome.
Coach Carpenito will now be a full-time member of the AFM staff, and we are so excited to welcome him as a full-time coach!
We welcome Carmine and his family - his beautiful, talented, and special wife, Valentina, and their adorable 1.5 y.o. son Leonardo. Welcome to the AFM Family!
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New Schedule 2022-2023
Every year, we work to improve the services that we provide to our fencers in the hopes of giving them the best possible tools and support for them to reach their goals. The schedule is an important structure for our fencing families, and making major changes in it is not something that we take lightly.
For this season, we are transitioning to a revised schedule with an eye for balance and for support.
AFM is expanding our programs to have an even greater degree of focus on developing our athletes. The rationale behind these changes is based on our experience and our consultation with our experienced staff, and it’s all about giving fencers the best structure to get to where they need to go. Over the last few weeks, we have put a whole lot of thought and effort into making this schedule work, getting every piece into just the right place for it all to work together.
We are focused on diving down into the individual easy that everyone can benefit most from the time that we have to train, as well as ways that we can create a better fit for our fencers in their individual programs. It’s a certain shift, and it’s one that we are excited about!
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Improved placement for maximum growth
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Better balance for fencers
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More opportunities for individualized support
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New programmatic offerings
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Increased skill-based approach
All fencers have already received emails with their placement as well as the details of the new schedule across the club.
The new schedule starts on August 1st, which is right around the corner! We appreciate your being flexible and supportive of the changing nature of this process. The changes will hopefully go smoothly and will support an even better fencing experience for everyone.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us!
| Campbell Schedule 2022-2023 |
| Beginner Y8 |
Wednesday 4 - 5:30pm |
| Beginner Y10-Y12 |
Saturday 9 - 10:30am |
| Beginner Y12-Y14 |
Saturday 1 - 2:30pm |
| Intermediate Y10 Group A* |
Tuesday/Friday 4 - 5:30pm |
| Intermediate Y10 Group B* |
Monday/Thursday 4 - 5:30pm |
| Intermediate Y12 Group A* |
Tuesday/Friday 5:30-7pm |
| Intermediate Y12 Group B* |
Thursday 5:30 - 7 pm and Saturday 2:30-4pm |
| Advanced Y10-Y12 |
Monday/Wednesday 5:30 - 7 pm and Saturday 10:30am - 12pm |
| Advanced Y14 - Cadet |
Monday/Wednesday/Friday 7 - 8:30pm |
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| * Based on coaches’ evaluation with no exception |
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| Sunnyvale Schedule 2022-2023 |
| Beginner Y8 -Y10 |
Tuesday 4 - 5:30pm |
| Beginner Y8 -Y10 |
Saturday 9 - 10:30am |
| Beginner Y12-Y14 |
* Placement after evaluation |
| Intermediate Y10 |
Monday/Thursday 4 - 5:30pm |
| Intermediate Y12 |
Monday/Wednesday 5:30-7pm |
| Intermediate Y14 |
Wednesday 4 - 5:30pm and Saturday 12:30-2pm |
| Advanced Y14 - Cadet |
Tuesday/Thursday/Friday 5:30 - 7 pm |
| Competitive |
Monday/Wednesday/Thursday 7 - 9pm and Saturday 10:30am - 12:30pm |
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| Make-up Classes Policy Season 2022-2023: |
| As we worked hard to create balanced classes and fine-tuned curriculum for each class, we changed the makeup classes' policy. If you missed your regular class, the following are the options for makeup based on your child's age. |
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| Option #1 - for children born 2012 or younger - Friday 4pm-5:30pm |
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| Option #2 - for children born 2011 or older - Friday 7pm-8:30pm |
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| Both makeup class options are available in Sunnyvale. |
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AFM Super Regional
Registration will be open soon on USA Fencing
Coming this season, AFM has been invited to host a Super Regional event! It’s a massive opportunity for our fencers and an incredible way for our fencers to not only compete themselves but also for our club to welcome fencers from outside of our areas to compete.
This is a unique kind of fencing tournament that is unusual in its structure and the people who are able to participate in it. It’s a mega event, and there are going to be a multitude of ways that people can participate.
AFM will need our community support to make this work, and lots of volunteers will be a part of this process to make it work. We expect that this event will bring in some of the best fencers in California and beyond, providing a great chance for our AFM fencers to meet other competitors on the strip as well as to connect with them.
This major competition will feature the following events:
All of our competitive fencers will have multiple events to fence in, at least two for everyone. This is fantastic because it means less travel to a competition, as there will be qualifying opportunities for the Junior Olympics and Summer Nationals through a tournament that’s right here in the local area! It makes it almost like a local competition in terms of logistics, but almost like a NAC in terms of quality, and there’s nothing like waking up in your own bed the morning of the competition.
This mega tournament will be held in the Santa Clara Convention Center, with forty five (45!) fully metal strips that will be put out in the venue. It will have the scope and feel of an NAC.
We are so excited to work on this tournament together, to get our club started in hosting these kinds of high-level and important events. Keep an eye out for more details about this fantastic event. There’s a lot to be excited about!
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USA Fencing National Championships & July Challenge, July 2, 2022 - July 11, 2022 - Results
AFM could not be more proud of our own champions and competitors at the USA Fencing National Championships & July Challenge 2022!
AFM was represented by about 110 fencers in 230 fencing entrees in the Summer Nationals 2022. We got 14 national medals across all age categories, from youth fencers to the most experienced Vet 70 fencer! It’s not only the medals that count, though. We had a lot of fantastic finishes in the top 16 and in the top 32, with our fencers demonstrating excellent fencing at each tournament.
We are very happy by the incredible results we saw from Fencing Summer Nationals and by the huge potential our fencers showed! Our fencers rose to the challenge and came out in huge force to show their skill and their incredible dedication.
Below is our list of results from the big tournament, and we have to say that we are proud of each and every one of you. No matter your final placement, we see your skill and recognize what it took for you to get to this place. It’s humbling and amazing to see how parents, coaches, and fencers pulled this all together.
Thank you for being part of this, and you should all be so proud of yourselves!
Cadet Women's Epee
Leehi Machulsky won Gold!
It’s GOLD! Congratulations to unstoppable and outstanding Leehi Machulsky for winning Gold Medal at Cadet Women’s Epee at The Summer Nationals! What a fantastic performance all the way through the competition! Congratulations to coach her Zhanna Bikkina, to all AFM coaches, and of course to the happy parents! Way to go Leehi! What an incredible result. Once again, Leehi, you proved your talents and hard work!
Div IA Women's Epee
4 AFM Fencers in the top 8 medals!
AFM won 4 (!) medals in the Division 1A Women’s Epee! Congratulations to Natalie Gebala for winning Silver medal, Audrey Chu for Bronze, Zandra Feland for 5th place and Priscilla Leang for 6th place and also to Zandra and Priscilla for earning their A rating! Congratulations to all AFM coaches and of course, to the parents! Way to go, girls, great job!
Div II Men's Epee
Daniel Chirashnya 6th, Alex Ulinich 8th
Another great result at Summer Nationals, this time in Division 2 Men’s Epee! Congratulations to Daniel Chirashnya for medalling with 6th place and Alex Ulinich for medalling with 8th place! Great job also by David Zaydman who was 1 touch from the medal round! Congratulations to the athletes, their coaches and parents!
Div III Men's Epee
Daniel Chirashnya - USA Champion DivIII Men's Epee
United States Champion! Congratulations to Daniel Chirashnya for winning the title in the Division 3 Men’s Epee! Great job, Daniel! Congratulations to his coach Slava Novoselov and all the amazing AFM coaches! Warm congratulations to Daniel's parents:))
Senior Women's Team
Bronze!
 Photo: AFM Teams 1, 2, and 3
AFM Team-1 (AFMily) won BRONZE!
Leehi Machulsky, Audrey Chu, Natalie Gebala, and Priscilla Leang
What a fantastic Senior Women’s Epee Team event we had today, full of drama and unbelievable spirit and determination! Girls, we are so proud of you! Team AFM-1 (lovely called AFMily 1), won Bronze medal, Team AFMily 2 finished 8th among 20 teams, loosing in the third round to the eventual champion in a very close match with 43:40 final score, a team which was so much more experienced and accomplished. You rocked today, girls!
AFM Team -2 made it into the top 8!!
Noya Chirashnya, Alice Lan, Zandra Feland, and Zara Sinha
Thank you, girls, for your outstanding spirit and true teamwork!
Congratulations to all three AFM Teams! Way to go!
Youth 10 Women's Epee
Jessica Xu 5th place!
Another great performance from The AFM girls! This time in Y10 Women’s Epee, our warm congratulations to Jessica Xu for medalling with 5th place and to Morgan Hankins for finishing 9th. Great job! Congratulations to coach Slava Novoselov, all coaches, and Jessica's super dedicated parents! Way to go!!
VET 70 ME National Championship
Jere Botheio - USA Champion!
Huge congratulations to Jere Bothelio for winning Vet 70 national championship and earning #1 spot on the national team for the World Championship! We are so happy for you, Jere!
DivIII Women's Epee
Kaitlyn Lee won Bronze, Noya Chirashnya 7th place medal
What a great final accord at the USA Fencing Summer Nationals 2022! Congratulations to Kaitlyn Lee for winning a Bronze medal and earning a C rating, and Noya Chirashnya for the 7th place medal! Also, congratulations to Desiree Poon and Zara Sinha for the 12th and 13th place finish with narrowly missing the medal round. Desiree also earned her E rating! Congratulations to coach Zhanna and all AFM coaches, and of course to the fencers’ parents!
Veterans 60 Women's Epee
Suzanne Bloomer won 8th place medal!
Congratulations to Suzanne Bloomer for medalling in Vet 60 Women’s Epee event at the Summer Nationals! Great job, Suzanne!
GO, AFM !!!!
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