Summer National 2024 - Columbus OH

I find myself doing a few things that I am not accustomed to and do not particularly enjoy. The first is stopping to think. The second is trying to take stock. The third is writing on social media. The last one, however, I don't actually do, because I only did it once in my life (when I built my personal website) and I didn't enjoy it: counting. I'll leave that to those who work more with numbers and statistics.

I have always spent my time teaching young people (whom I have had the pleasure of guiding in their sports and life journeys) not to count and not to dwell on the past or project too much into the future, because the past is already gone and the future can be too distracting. I have always tried to teach (and still try) to live in the present moment, whether it’s the current bout or the present touch. Therefore, being so focused on the present moment ("carpe diem"), I find it difficult to reflect and recount my experiences.

In this case, I feel I need to make a bit of an exception. The role I have assumed necessarily requires me to take stock and understand what can be improved, and perhaps I am also becoming a bit Americanized and a bit more "SOCIALized."

I hope, over time, to achieve a good mix between my experience and culture, adding a bit of innovation from this still-new continent and culture. What I know is that, as the Academy of Fencing Masters (AFM), we had a great Summer Nationals, putting all the kids in a position to perform well and consequently winning many medals.

An interesting fact is that the medals (of all shapes and colors) come from many different personal coaches and not just one specific SUPER MAESTRO, which makes me think that we have succeeded in creating a functional environment that allows many athletes and their respective coaches (from different cultures and countries) to work with peace of mind and seriousness.

Another interesting aspect is that in all the youth categories (for both genders), we managed to bring home medals. This makes our expectations and ambitions entirely legitimate and leaves us with a strong desire to get back on the strip as soon as possible.

Also an interesting aspect is what we did not manage to achieve. There were many medals left to others by a single touch that could have made our haul much richer. This is what drives us to find different ways to improve those who did not achieve what they could have, by understanding all the reasons (sporting, psychological, familiar, etc.) that prevented them from expressing their full potential.

There is a lot of work to be done because, in fact, no one here is willing to leave touches, bouts, and medals to others. So, with a lot of positivity because most things worked, we are already starting to work on what didn’t.

Our fortune is to have an extremely heterogeneous team in terms of technical skills, experience, and geographical origin. With the right mindset, this mix can become lethal and leave very little to others. All of this allows us to have big dreams and embark on a journey that, I'm sure, many curious people will notice.

Congratulations to all the medal-winning kids, congratulations to each medal-winning coach, and congratulations to the entire team for making all of this possible.