Every sport has its superheros, and fencing is no exception. One fencing hero is usually placed among the greatest fencers in the last 100 years: Romankov.
In July 2003, Jeff Harman attended the United States Fencing Association's Coach's College. Created with the goal of improving American fencing by improving its fencing coaches, the Coach's College is staffed by the best fencing talent available. Jeff's account follows:
Fencing has a long, bloody history, and non-fencers frequently assume it remains dangerous. The modern Olympic sport of fencing, however, is one one of the safest sports to be found. Safety is rigorously monitored, in part to overcome public misconceptions, and equipment standards are boosted almost annually.
French fencer Laura Flessel-Colovic is known as la Guêpe -- the Wasp -- for her fiercely competitive nature and her dangerous attack.
Born November 6, 1971, Flessel-Colovic is a native of Guadeloupe. After seeing French fencing champion Jean-François Lamour on television, she quit her dance class and joined her local fencing club.
Since retiring from competitive fencing I have turned my fencing energies toward coaching juniors. I expected that this experience would require teaching fencing skills, strategy, and motivation. But I had not anticipated that it would be hard for students to understand what it took to be good at a sport. I had been an athlete for so long that this stuff was just part of me. Over the years I have been struggling to find the words to explain to my students what I think learning fencing, and for that matter any sport, is all about. Here it is.
French fencer Laura Flessel-Colovic is known as la Guêpe -- the Wasp -- for her fiercely competitive nature and her dangerous attack. 
Since retiring from competitive fencing I have turned my fencing energies toward coaching juniors. I expected that this experience would require teaching fencing skills, strategy, and motivation. But I had not anticipated that it would be hard for students to understand what it took to be good at a sport. I had been an athlete for so long that this stuff was just part of me. Over the years I have been struggling to find the words to explain to my students what I think learning fencing, and for that matter any sport, is all about. Here it is. 
