Our guest is Ana Irene Delgado, a member of the Executive Committee of the FIE, the International Fencing Federation.
In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Ana Irene Delgado, a member of the Executive Committee of the FIE, the International Fencing Federation.
Delgado hails from Panama and has fenced for the Central American nation at FIE World Cups as well as the Central American and Caribbean Games.
Among her many volunteer roles, Delgado leads the working group known as “Fencing for the Planet.” Her passions include protecting the environment, empowering women and expanding access to sports.
She’s also a Panamanian lawyer, diplomat and politician and was the youngest Panamanian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Iceland.
We chat with Delgado about her fencing journey, how fencing differs in Latin America and the genesis of the "Fencing for the Planet" program.
EPISODE 23
[INTRODUCTION]
[0:00:01] BW: Hello, and welcome to First to 15, the official podcast of USA fencing. I'm your host, Bryan Wendell. In this show, you're going to hear from some of the most inspiring, interesting and insanely talented people in this sport we all love. First to 15 is for anyone in the fencing community, and even for those just checking out fencing to see what it's all about. Whether you're an Olympian, or Paralympian, a newcomer, a seasoned veteran, a fencing parent, a fan, or anyone else in this wonderful community, this podcast is for you. With that, let's get to today's episode. Enjoy.
[INTERVIEW]
[0:00:40] BW: Today's guest is Ana Irene Delgado, a member of the executive committee of the FIE, which is the International Fencing Federation. Delgado hails from Panama and has fenced for that Central American nation that FIE World Cups, as well as the Central American and Caribbean games. Among her many volunteer roles, Delgado leads the working group known as Fencing for the Planet. Her passions include protecting the environment, empowering women, expanding access to sports, all those great causes. She's also a Panamanian lawyer, a diplomat and a politician and was the youngest Panamanian ambassador to the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Iceland. We are so delighted to have her excellency, Ana Irene Delgado with us today. Welcome to the podcast.
[0:01:23] AID: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.
[0:01:26] BW: This is really a thrill to have you. I just want to get started with how we like to talk with most of our guests. How did you get involved in fencing? Where and when was your start into this great sport?
[0:01:37] AID: That's so funny, because actually, I started with modern pentathlon. I'll tell you a bit of the story. I started doing equestrian when I was really young, because I grew up in a farm in Panama. The farm, the town is called Chepo. When I was, I don't know, four, five-years-old, I used to write a lot. Then I enjoy equestrian. You start doing that, and then you need more action. We were four brothers and sisters. Then somebody came out and they said, “Wow, she's really athletic. Why don't you start with modern pentathlon?”
As you all know, modern pentathlon has fencing. I remember, this time swimming, because we all swim in Panama. We’re surrounded by sea and running. Then I really got passionate about fencing. The weapon that we use in modern pentathlon is actually Epee. That's how I get into Epee. Then we had this Cuban coach that said to my mother, “Your daughter must be good at Epee, because she’s tall. Long legs.” Here we go. I did more than pentathlon, I have to say until Youth Championships, Pan-American championships. The last one is in Mexico.
Then you get involved with school and with other things. Social life in Panama and five sports is really a challenge. I decided that out of the five sports, I was really passionate about fencing. Then at 12, 13, I started doing more fencing than any other sport. That's how I got into the Panamanian national team. We had at the time, Cuban coaches. I remember representing Panama in regional tournaments, in regional games, like Central America, the Central American and Caribbean, then Pan-American. That's how I got into fencing, and then I never stopped since then.
[0:03:34] BW: That's awesome. It's interesting that you with modern pentathlon, you had that sampler platter of trying five different sports and fencing was the one that stuck. In pentathlon, for people who don't know, those are really short bouts, right? It's not a full 15 touch bout, right?
[0:03:50] AID: It's very short. I have to say, it had changed a lot. Because when I started, it was another dynamic. It was proper shooting, not laser shooting like today. It was proper five points fencing. Today is faster, because they're trying to, I think, make it more attractive, maybe for TV and things like that. Because remember, modern pentathlon at the beginning was a full day. I remember starting shooting in the morning, then you go to fencing, then you go down to the pool. I remember the complex in Panama, in Caledonia. Then you go to another venue to do the horse and then you finish with running.
It was really a full fencing and that's how I got so interested. Now it changed a lot. But I have to say, it's a sport, as a former Olympian, that I can say that is a sport that gives you a lot of discipline, because you have to take out your – you have your daily life, and then on top of that, you have your five different coaches. It was not easy. Then when you learn the beauty of fencing, in my opinion, a sport that is not only beautiful to watch, but is also a sport that gives you strategic planning, a sport that gives you in the case of Epee, for example, flexibility. It gives you time to think and say, what will be your analysis if you're in the last round of touches. That's how I got more and more involved in fencing since then.
[0:05:19] BW: That's awesome. Part of your role with the FIE, you've gotten to travel and see fencing in other countries. How does fencing in, say, Latin America, Central America differ from fencing that you've witnessed in Europe and Asia and other parts of the world?
[0:05:35] AID: That's such a good question, because fencing is a European sport. Since the very beginning when I started, I remember watching the whole French, Italian, Hungarian, German teams. You always see them as, wow, those are the best things in the world. However, I have to say, it had changed so much. First of all, the US team, Canadian team, and we're talking about Latin America, I have to say that Cuba was always our biggest competitor, because they have a history in fencing, huge history in fencing.
Remember, we have also a gold medal champion from Venezuela, Rubén Limardo, who I admire so much. We have had so many changes, and I think that's due to the development of fencing and the help of European nations, with their coaches and their knowledge to implement that, for example, in my part of the world, I cannot compare the level of fencing in Central America and the Caribbean. With some countries in Europe, however, I have to say that that gap has been smaller lately. I have to say that we have in touch even Africa, with Egyptian Federation, how much it has grown.
We go to Asia. Let's talk about Korea, China, Japan. Even though it's seen in Panama and in Central America a sports that is very European, and for example, in Panama, trying to get it implemented in schools, because tradition in schools here, you will see baseball, basketball and football. We're trying to see schools can teach a bit of fencing, especially in public schools, in government schools, because it's still an expensive sport to practice with all the equipment.
However, we have had also a history of good fencers at the level of Pan-American Games in my own country, Panama. Yes, it has grown so much. In Brazil, for example, the case of this athlete Nathalie Moellhausen. Then we have Colombia, very good one. Chile, Peru, Costa Rica, and of course, our president of the athlete commission, Rubén Limardo from Venezuela, which is the gold medal in London 2012, which was a surprise. A positive surprise, because he beat it, I think in that last shot, I think a European nation.
For us, is we still need to get there. There is a lot still to – a lot of work to be done. That's how I also got involved in FIE, because I think being there, being in the ComEx, ComEx meaning executive committee, you can be heard at the higher level, the voice of somebody that grew up in Latin America and the know how it works here.
[0:08:15] BW: Right. I think, that's a great segue into the FIE Executive Committee, which is 22 members from all around the world. As you noted, it seems like it's a priority from the FIE, that there are representatives from all over the world. The majority of fencers, perhaps, might be from Europe, but the executive committee itself is truly global. Backing up a little bit, though, can you tell us what the role of this committee is? Because some people who are listening might not be familiar with exactly all the great work that you all do.
[0:08:47] AID: That's such a good question, because I got asked that question many times. Let me explain you a bit more. The structure of the executive committees, all of the members, first of all, are elected. There are 15 members elected in every congress, and then additional to that, the ComEx is integrated by one member of each confederation. There are five confederations, we belong, you and me, US and Panama belong to the Pan-American Confederation. There is a European Confederation. There is a Africa Confederation. There is a Asia Confederation and there is a Oceania Confederation. You have those 15-plus five members that are from each confederation.
On top of that, you have a member that represents the athletes, which I think is so important. in this moment is Rubén Limardo from Venezuela. He represents the vote and voice of the athletes within the community, which is headed by a president, then you have a treasurer, secretary general, vice president, the normal structure. I think the spirit and the objective is to first of all, promote the sport not only towards the Olympic Games, but towards the World Championships. Organize, of course, the congresses and all the competitions based, this is very important, based on statutes.
It's not that we can do anything we want. There are some statues that are our Constitution, our rules to follow. Those statutes cannot be changed without the approval of an assembly, which makes the body really democratic, because it's not like, if there is a precedent from X, Y, Z country, you can do whatever. No. There are rules to follow. It's important also, to mention that there are several committees that are within the executive committee. They are called committees, or commissions. Those commissions are responsible of several aspects and I'm going to name which are them. Are permanent commission. One is the legal commission, rules commission, refereeing commission, electronic signaling equipment and installations commission, in diminutive is called SEMI. Then we have promotions, communications and marketing.
We have medical commission. We have commission of athletes, and then the one that I belong to, which is a new one that is actually not a permanent commission, but it's called working group. That is meant to work on sustainability and environment. That's new, just because the, well, first of all, I was really concerned about environment and sustainability. Second, the IOC is trying to speak to IF, so international federations, for them to be more and more concerned with their athletes and the environment. That's the one media and executive committee I am hitting, like coordinate.
[0:11:48] BW: Yeah. You've talked about some of the different roles that the FIE plays. What has been your proudest moment so far in your service at the FIE?
[0:11:58] AID: There are so many and I thought about this so many times, because so many proud moments that you feel when you're part of that body, which is basically, the body that is in charge of organizing and leading fencing worldwide. If I think deeply, I would say that I felt so, so proud and speechless when I had the opportunity to give the medal to the Italian team in the World Championships in Cairo last year, the year before. Just because I trained with these girls, the team members in Italy. I was invited by Italian Federation to train, headed by Coach Sandro Cuomo in 2012, 2013.
I remember these girls being so good. The team was the Epee team. It was Rosella Fiamingo, Mara Navarria, Federica Isola, Bianca Caretto, Alberta Santuccio. I’m with the other hand there in the podium giving them a medal, you understand? It was like such a nice moment. I think, priceless. We were at some point, competitors. They were always so good, much better than the Panamanian team, of course. Anyway, they train with us. To give them the medal was really a special moment, because I consider them friends also.
[0:13:21] BW: Well, that speaks to the global nature of fencing and how, yeah, we all wear the patch on our sleeve that represents our country. But really, we're all fencers and we're all together. I mean, a woman from Panama presenting the medals to Italy. That says it right there, right? I mean, it just shows how global this sport is.
[0:13:40] AID: Totally, Bryan.
[0:13:42] BW: I want to shift gears a little bit and talk about Fencing for the Planet, which is something that's a real passion of yours and we mentioned that you're on the Sustainability Working Group and the FIE has recently doubled down on its commitment to that. How did this program get started? What was the origin of Fencing for the Planet?
[0:14:01] AID: Well, first of all, I have to say that this is a passion for me, because I come from a country that is one of the first three in the world to be carbon negative. It's only Bhutan, Panama and Suriname, at the beginning, carbon negative. First of all, second. Panama as a country has protected its oceans with an initiative with Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia and Ecuador, before the target, the UN target. That's something that really passionate. I grew up going to the sea, so I know the importance of protecting your nature, because that has a limit and that can be finished and some people still sadly, don't understand how important that is.
When at the ComEx, they said, what would you like to work for? I immediately volunteer in environment and the group was not even created. Then they said, “Okay, let's create a working group.” Having said that, I said, well, we need to have one representative of each continent, because the way I think might be different from the way somebody from Africa thinks. That's how we got into the members of the working group, which is one per continent, one of each continent. Then we said, well, we also need to have one from semi-commission, one from the legal commission and one from marketing, which makes it, if we need an opinion from people that promote, or do the marketing, we'll have it. Then we need an opinion from somebody that deals with the vendors and how the vendors should do the equipment, then we'll have that link.
Last year, exactly one year from now, we did our first meeting, after all the members were assigned democratically by each continent. I have to say, as a foreign, it’s really difficult to me, because there is one from New Zealand and there is this another from Chile. You need to see what time you meet, because it's either really late for, or really early for the other. I'm usually in the middle sure of how to meet. Then, of course, we're environment friendly, so we don't want to make meetings, make people travel, so we do via Zoom.
[0:16:05] BW: Makes sense.
[0:16:06] AID: We then meet personally only if we are in a competition together. Then we decided within the group, we said, well, first mission, we have to have a policy. Who's going to be in charge of drafting that policy? FIE, environment and sustainability policy. There is a lady from the UK called Claire Halstead. She said, “I volunteer with Maja from Egypt.” They came out with these environmental policy that I will share with you, because it still needs the approval of the ComEx, but it's been drafted together with the IOC. IOC has been really collaborative with these. IOC assigned Mrs. Julie Duffus. She's the Head of sustainability in Lausanne. She's a former equestrian, I think, from the UK. Very nice lady.
She helped them to have that draft. Then I said, “Yeah, but we also need to have some athletes that wants to be our ambassadors and our environment ambassadors. We spoke to Rubén Limardo, we asked Rubén, which attribute you think are more keen, or be more vocal in social media to promote these? He came out with some ideas on that. Then we said, let's have a date for fencing for the planet day. Let's encourage executive committee members and national federations to do something, at least for one day in their countries for the environment.
[0:17:27] BW: That’s great.
[0:17:27] AID: For example, going in the beach. Don't ride a car. Unplug your plug from the wall, or close the tab if you're brushing your teeth. Very simple, but meaningful actions to everybody. Then, we also did a survey and asked every single national federation to tell us where they think on our plan, because this is not something that we want to impose. This is something that we want to share and ask them what they think on what we're doing. Then they came with some ideas. We said then, we form three other sub groups, which are one, that is implementing donate your fencing gear. The second one is the connection with the FIE department of articles and posts. Then we have another one that draft guidelines for federation's and competition organizers.
Those actions, even though somebody will say, “Wow, how small will be carsharing, beach cleaning and all of that.” It’s really not, because if you think about it, that action will be done one day for one federation in every continent. That's how we're starting. We hope also, in the future, to be able Bryan to participate in the IOC competition. They have three awards for the sport that do more for the environment. We don't feel we're ready yet to submit and to compete for the 2023 awards, but we're getting ready, maybe for the 2024 awards to be more consistent on the actions that we're doing.
Definitely, the people that we have onboard are really passionate. I'm just going to mention out of respect, and grateful to them who they are. It's Ms. Maha Murad. She's from Egypt. Matthew Baker is from Oceania. [Inaudible 0:19:19] is from the semi commission. Joyce [inaudible 0:19:23], she's from the US Virgin Islands. Soromi Abdul is from Mali, Africa. Reneham Solida from Indonesia, Asia. Marcelo Lorca from Chile, Latin America and then Claire Halsted from the UK. We'll all been helped very much by Natalie Rodriguez, which is the FIE Executive CEO, and by Elena Murdaca, which is the office administrator. They have been really trying to make a change.
Then I spoke to Serge, who is also work for the FIE and with other people, like for example, US fencing in this case. To make our voice heard for some athletes that maybe hear this podcast and they want to volunteer in their social media, for example, and you say what they're doing. On some suggestion, for example, we also thought of some suggestion from, to approach the vendors and say to the vendors, how we can make this equipment more environmentally friendly in your factories.
We're trying to maybe meet them in Plovdiv in the next world championships and speak to some of them. For example, absolute, a Gary Liu, I had a shout out with him already about these. Some others. Not only him. Some other vendors from Europe. Because Bryan, this is the future. We've seen it. You saw what's happening in New Zealand now. All these cyclones. It happened in the US, it happened in my part of the world, it happened everywhere. We need to be concerned that we need to – Also, as an athlete, I think sports lead and give the examples.
Funny enough, younger generations really care, because when we talk to them about not buying new bottles, but refilling the water in the competition, they get it. They say, “Yeah, Actually, we agree we need to do this.” I'm not saying that only the young generation. I'm just pointing out that there is some group of people that really are aware of these. I think it's our job just to make them see it more.
[0:21:23] BW: Yeah. Just everything you went over is so important, because it illustrates that you're doing this more than just to get headlines. You're actually doing the work and the team is putting in such a great effort here over the past year already. I mean, everything you describe, it's like you guys have been quite busy with the efforts so far. One thing that comes to mind, in addition is travel, right? Because we as fencers, we have to travel across the country for US competitions and then around the world for fencing competitions. How can we reduce, or even offset our carbon footprint as we continue to travel to these great events that FIE puts on?
[0:22:05] AID: You're totally right. That's something that we're discussing many times in the working group. Well, first, they told me, the only way we have to do it is to focus more competitions. In some areas, that makes people travel less. However, then we're touching on other grounds. We’re touching about qualification grounds. Qualifications for Olympic Games. That's something that is not very easy to deal with, because we intervene too much and say, we must do X, Y and Z, then it has to be the calendar committee playing a role. Okay, so how we're going to fix the calendar for that to happen?
First of all, we decided we'll lead by example. We said our group is only meeting via Zoom. Our working group, too. The executive committee is having half meetings Zoom, only. I mean, less than half, because we're only meeting in person when everybody's meeting in the world championships. Rather than that, we've been meeting via Zoom all these years since January started. If for example, you need a representative of the FIE somewhere, you need to send somebody that is in the country already. You don't send somebody abroad.
[0:23:19] BW: You're leading by example.
[0:23:20] AID: If your competition is in Panama, for example, Panama sports. I'll give you an example right now. Invited the Pan-American configuration to the women in sports event happening the 8th of March in Panama. Supposedly, that event is meant to be for the President of the Pan-American Confederation, which is Mr. Vitaly Logvin. However, since he's not here, he said, “I'm not going to travel and go there, plus spending in hotel. So, you go.” You understand? This is an example.
I'm not part of the Pan-American confederation board. I'm not. But he said, “You are in the FIE ComEx, and you can send us all the summaries of what happened there.” I think that's the way it should be. Because why to travel if I'm here. For competitions, you're right, there is a challenge. I'm thinking on that so hard, because it's a big challenge. I know also, the World Economic Forum have been criticized, because why are you talking about environment and everybody's flying their private planes to Davos. I mean, and I get it.
[0:24:24] BW: Sure. Sure.
[0:24:24] AID: A 100%. That was the main topic, environment, among others. But then, why so many – and on top of that, private planes, which is even more people coming in. But it's not easy. However, we're going to try to make, which is not easy also with the sponsors within competitions, no plastic bottles, not these, not that, because then it comes another aspect. I think it could be solved when you talk to people. Because the same problem, we'll have the IOC with all their sponsors, without wanting to speak here about who the sponsors of the IOC are, because everybody knows.
Maybe with US fencing and your sponsors, which I'm sure are much more than many other federations, just because of the results of the US fencing in World Championships and Olympic Games. People are getting it, believe me. Little by little. We have attended, me personally some cup conferences on behalf of my government. We're having in Panama next month, the our oceans conference. The one that John Kerry founded in Washingtonian. We had been in different countries. Next edition is in March 2 and 3 here. People are starting to, and that's very well attended, by the way, by Minister of Environment all over the world, not only from Latin America.
I point all these, because people are starting to understand that this is our home and we only have one home, and this is where everybody lives. We need to do something about it. Especially, we want to have the same opportunity that you and me have for next generation.
[0:25:55] BW: Absolutely.
[0:25:56] AID: We're trying to get there in fencing, anyway.
[0:25:58] BW: Yeah. I think that's well said. Our CEO, Phil Andrews has a saying like, progress, not perfection. Yeah. You're making great progress. That deserves some level of praise. I think that's great to see. You mentioned this earlier, the things that individuals can do small acts that make a big difference, but also, companies, you referenced them as well. They’re some of the biggest “users” of our planet's resources. Are there some other ways that corporations, specifically, can lessen their impact? Not just fencing companies, but if someone's listening to this that's in a company that sells anything, or does anything, what is their role here?
[0:26:38] AID: Yes, a very, very good question. Because we did three things. We started in group actions, corporate actions and individual ones. Corporate, we said, companies, at least the one we speak to, please do install water refilling stations right at your office, instead of having people with plastic bottles. Just put them water and then they refill. Second, to switch energy suppliers if you can, just to renew our resources. That's why Panama is on that carbon negative, because we use hydro a lot, hydro here and some other renewables like wind
Some people will see it a bit simple, but if you can just sign an agreement with some local charity and then distribute unsold food, there's so much waste when you go to these places I sell food at the end and that's always – If you can just, small, but it also saves you money, actually. We thought on that. Then organize educational activities. Focus on sustainability. Just activities that will give a stakeholders and the national and regional club level some ideas, because not everybody knows about these.
Then I believe a lot about ambassadors to raise awareness. If you have a fencing club, then Bryan, Ana, John, you are my ambassadors to raise awareness. Remember, refill your bottle. Don't do this. Unplug. Just that. Then adopt policy and incentive the use of public transport, or part-time smart working. Because if you say, “Okay, today I'm going to take a ride with Bryan. That then today, I don't use my car.” Then that's because you’re just leaving at the same time, or just use public transport, or walk if the city allows you to do it, because I'm not saying every city is the same. Then donate clothes, buy secondhand clothes. That's a trend. I was recently in Europe and everybody's buying now secondhand as a fashionable thing.
[0:28:32] BW: That's great.
[0:28:33] AID: We let suppliers not to use plastic packaging. That's what I'm trying to speak to vendors, fencing vendors. I don't know what their reply would be, because I'm also – I cannot also impose anything on them, but just as a suggestion. Just carry, just prefer a natural right and synthetic fiber clothes, because people don't know that synthetic release microplastics with every wash. Some people don't know that. Just try to use natural. Buy secondhand, as I said. Request your drinks without straw. I mean, you can still drink and don’t use straw. I just don't use straw anymore.
Turn off the water tap if you're brushing your teeth. Just simple. People just take even running. Then pull the plug out. People don't know, if you have your plug in, just better if you leave your house, just unplug it. Switch off the lights. Prefer local food to overseas, important food. For example, in Panama, let’s try to – I also have a bill here that says, buy local. I mean you're having – you're helping local and you're also reducing the impact. I'm a coffee drinker, so I say, if you drink coffee, switch to compostable filters, if you can do that, and implement garbage separation, which I know is not easy, but try to. For example, now where I live, I have plastic fiber this and that. Some people see in Panama are like, “Oh, my God. What is that extra work?”
[0:30:00] BW: Right. It does take work, but it's worth it.
[0:30:02] AID: We're trying to get there. Just small actions, Bryan. We don't ask you to change your life, but think about it and I think you will make a change, for the time that is. I don't know.
[0:30:15] BW: You grew up in such a beautiful country, Panama. The ocean’s all around you. In some ways, you can see the impact firsthand of the warming, oceans and climate change. Why is this such a passion for you, sustainability? Why are you putting so much effort into this cause?
[0:30:34] AID: Well, let me tell you. As you said, I grew up here, right? You start seeing the importance of day and looking after your nature, when you see and you go out there that they are, for example, indigenous communities. They don't need anything. They just live on what they grow and they are happy. Taking a shower in the river, eating their food and being local. I know not everybody have had that opportunity. Life has given me the opportunity, not only to grow up in that part of Panama, which has two indigenous communities surrounding it. One is the Embera and one is the Gunas.
When you see that by doing all of these, you're just limiting the life of some people. The only thing they are doing is living out of what they have. Then you start thinking, “Oh, my God. Why in the cities, we have to be so harmful to the environment?” Which actually, don't give the happiness to anybody. I tell you, I experience it. I am very happy person with me and my family when we go to the country. You don't necessarily need all these luxuries, which I'm not saying that are bad, or anything. I mean, everyone should do what makes them happy. If you see and you own the nature, that will give you peace.
Having said that, life has given me the opportunity to be able to do sports in that, because when I was a modern pentathlete, I remember swimming in the ocean. Imagine. People don't know how many harm all these big boats that come to fish with all these nets, they not only kill what they're going to eat, they kill everything. They trash it. I come from a country that is surrounded by the Pacific and the Atlantic. I have the Caribbean north and I have the Atlantic in here, in the Pacific in the Panama City. You see the difference. The pictures that I have 10, 20 years ago, how the see, the coral reefs were and how they are now, you will be thinking like me. The total migration.
We have a species that I'm working on a project with National Geographic and a foundation in an island called Samoa. They have little scanners, little things in the back of their bags that totals and they specify that species of turtles, of sea turtles are about to be extinguished. We’re trying to do a program that says, if you kill one total of those just to eat, you're making so much harm to the environment. Just protect them. First of all, it’s a teaching thing. You teach them and you say, you can eat something else. Don't eat the turtles. I'm just mentioning this, because this is something out of my constituency and this is something that has international impact, because this species of turtles are just in certain parts of the world and one of them is Panama. They emigrated from – and they're coming from somewhere in Central America. I can’t remember where, and they have positioned themselves in Samoa.
Then you can see them by – it's not called scanner, but it's something that they put like a tag, and it’s a very expensive tag, by the way. Then you can see them with a radar from abroad, and then you see how they can create a whole environment. Then with that, you attract tourism, people come and see them. Such a better environment and all of that. Don't forget, Panama is really small country. We're not a huge country. We live from service from tourism, so we need to protect what we have. I think that also makes me think twice about this topic.
I have to thank also the FIE, because I think they see this as a priority. Otherwise, they would have not created a group, a working group on environment. Everybody voted positive about it. I think, a lot of sports, not only fencing, a lot of ports are doing their part, because when I spoke to IOC, they told me about sailing and others, that they are doing their planning. Some easier than others, because some sports, how do you do this? Some sports are really vocal. There's a lady athlete, I can't remember her name from the UK. She even has a charity. She's an Olympian, I think. I think sailing, or equestrian, or something. She says, she's trying to make the difference in her sport in Europe. We hope to be heard. We hope for people to come together with these special costs. Everybody, I think, should be involved in in these ideas, right?
[0:35:04] BW: Yeah. It seems like, the FIE is fortunate to have someone so passionate and talented among its ranks in you. I guess, my last question is, why are you so passionate about staying involved in fencing, staying in this world? Obviously, as we said in the intro, you're a super busy woman, involved in a lot of different things. Yet, you still make time for the FIE and for fencing. Why is that?
[0:35:29] AID: So many people ask me. First, I want to give back what sports has given me. I think, I wouldn't be here if I wouldn't have the discipline of sport. That's a fact. When you grew up doing your homeworks, at school, university, high school, whatever it is, and on top of that, you need to train at some time, which you cannot be late or anything, and you have to be in that trip and then come back and do your exams, because you are participating in X, Y competition. That gives you something that doesn't give anything.
First of all, give back to sport that have given me so much. Second, because I come from a country where sports haven't been priority for many governments, sadly. I think that being in an international body, give me some voice to bring back and say, listen, we can follow what FIE is doing and trying to implement it in Panama, because I think we have potential for fencers. Potential, why? Because we are a mixed race. Panama is composed by Indians, Campesinos, Black, Afro-American. We have the genes to be strong, tall and fast, but we don't have the support. The only way to ask support is to be there. The only way to change something is to be part of.
A lot of people tell me, I don't enter politics, because I don't like politics. Okay. You don't like politics, but how are you going to make a change? From outside? No. That’s the answer. You need to be inside. By the way, politics, very difficult. I'm not saying FIE is not a political body. It is. But it’s a body that heads fencing. If you want to do something, you have to be inside. That's my own opinion. There are some things that might be very difficult, and they're still very difficult and we are not – we have had many ups and downs at the FIE on terms of all the changes worldwide politically. But I think it’s still the body that led the fencing and its presence in the Olympic Games, so we'll be there in Paris next year.
[0:37:30] BW: It's going to be great. I mean, that venue, I've never been there myself, but the Grand Palais looks incredible.
[0:37:35] AID: My God, the venue. I saw that. Well, they show you the pictures. Wow.
[0:37:40] BW: Yeah. It's going to be a great experience. The FIE puts on such great events. I was lucky enough to be there in Cairo and see that tournament, and just the quality of the events that our federation puts on. We're definitely fortunate to have you and your team working so hard on those tournaments.
[0:37:58] AID: I'm happy that you like it, because I cannot agree more. Cairo was amazing. Dubai. Then I'm sure Plovdiv, because of Velichka, the president of Bulgarian Federation. She's so passionate, and she's given her life for fencing, as many other individuals that are my colleagues at the ComEx. That's how also, I want to say this. The friends that you build in fencing, I think, are for life. Because fencing is sports and not everybody knows, as compared as soccer. Fencers are really life friends. I think that's the other thing that keeps me in, because Donald Anthony, for example, that I was talking to you before coming into air, another from US fencing. My colleague from my region, we feel like brothers, all the Central Caribbean, South American, Europe and all of that. Just to see each other when there are some competition makes you even closer to them. That's also nice.
[0:38:56] BW: Well, that's so great. I think that's a great place to leave it. I just want to thank you so much for joining us on the podcast. It's been a real pleasure to have you and hope we'll see you at a future FIE event.
[0:39:07] AID: Of course. Really, my pleasure being here anytime. Thank you for your space here at this podcast, Bryan. Thank you.
[0:39:15] BW: Thank you.
[END OF INTERVIEW]
[0:39:16] BW: Thanks for listening to First to 15, the official podcast of USA fencing. We'll be back with our next conversation in a couple of weeks. In the meantime, you can stay up to date on all the latest fencing news by following us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. If you like this podcast, please help us grow and reach more people by leaving us a rating or review. Until next time, I'm Bryan Wendell, and I hope to see you real soon out on the strip. Bye.
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