The Personal is Political: WFencing Update

Since our last Year in Review post, you and your fencing club have probably cycled through several rounds of sickness, cancelled and rescheduled a few tournaments due to bad weather. You may have gone back to your school and work routines, and you’ve most certainly been working to prepare for the next tournament. Here we are now, feeling the intensity of the Ides of March. 

Quite a bit seems to be changing. Or is it? It seems that our nation has decided to “cancel” DEI! As a fencing force to be reckoned with, Team USA, US-based fencers, national and international teams have benefited greatly from diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Team USA fencing results speak for themselves: look at the rankings, performances and outcomes over the last 25 years based on the dominant strength of our highly competitive women. Women have led the way, formulating the fencing powerhouse we have today. Watching what our USA Fencing community has previously considered a strength – and now looking to dramatically change the support and focus mid-stream of preparing for the next competitive cycle for LA2028 - we all should have mixed feelings. 

Fencing together is our strength. Our neighbors, fellow fencers, families, and competing clubs are still the same as they were the day before the political tide shifted. We shouldn't lose sight of all of the positives that we’ve achieved as a fencing community so far.

Freedom vs. Access. Many of our fencing friends and colleagues have fought, not only on the strip, but in the boardrooms and behind the scenes to be part of all aspects of this sport. Whether it was to participate in all three fencing weapons, or to be allowed to coach or referee, equal opportunity was granted to us, but we had to fight to gain access to participation. The freedom to do this has been an inalienable right awarded by the freedom awarded to us of living in the United States of America. Even though the right existed, we had to fight to gain that right, access to resources, education and funding to run our own clubs and create our own world champions.  

Speaking of this work… the WFencing committees have been busy with work. This work is to help move our clubs, fencers and community forward as we have since the beginning. That work - no matter labels or policies - will continue.

Fencing in Global Democracy. For decades the USA fencing community has taken diverse backgrounds, pieced together knowledge, and blended cultures from all over the world to find strength. Many of our coaches, referees and parents have endured wars, unfairness and other hardships. These members of our community know on a deep personal level how we cannot take this freedom for granted. WFencing asks the following question: With all of our fencers from different cultures, experiences and walks of life, how can we continue to help our fencing community grow and thrive? How can we continue to encourage including any and all into our sport and community in fencing? How can fencing continue to lead the way as a positive example?

While it feels like quite a bit is in doubt, we felt it is important to say publicly what we are doing - and continue to do - is big. What you’re doing is big, too. And big can look different to different people. That’s the beauty of being part of a diverse, smart, competitive and inclusive community that shares our common thread: the sport of fencing. 

Help us keep changing fencing in our part of the world. 

It’s big to continue to be willing to keep the conversations going in this space. To feel what we are feeling.

You + WFencing

Make your voice heard. Maintain your WFencing membership - or join! Make your still tax-deductible contribution here.

This blog post is a collective reminder to be gentle and present with yourself and remember WFencing is here as a collective energy of power. This is not the first time where dramatic change has happened in our collective history, nor will it be the last. It is what we do with the opportunity to make it right for all involved. Let’s get to work! 

Edits to this post were made in collaboration between Jennifer Oldham, Cathleen Randall and Diana Moro.