First to 15: The USA Fencing Podcast

Alex Massialas on Continuing to Fence, Coach at Stanford and Push for LA28

Episode Summary

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. A four-time Olympian and three-time Olympic medalist, Alex has made history for Team USA time and again, from his silver and bronze medals in Rio to his key role in winning America’s first-ever men’s foil team world championship in 2019. But his fencing journey isn’t just about his own success — he’s now making an impact as the head coach at his alma mater, Stanford University.

Episode Notes

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.