Our guest is Jeidus DeSeranno, a foil fencer who represents the Renaissance Fencing Club of Michigan and is a rising star in the sport. We talked about why he started fencing and how he has progressed from success at the Y8 and Y10 levels to competing in his first senior World Cup event at age 14.
In this episode of First to 15, we're joined by Jeidus DeSeranno, a rising star in the world of men's foil at just 14 years old.
First to 15: The Official Podcast of USA Fencing
Host: Bryan Wendell
Cover art: Manna Creations
Theme music: Brian Sanyshyn
EPISODE 6
[INTRO]
[00:00:01] BW: Hello, and welcome to First to 15, the official podcast of USA Fencing. I'm your host, Bryan Wendell, and in this show you're going to hear from some of the most inspiring, interesting, and insanely talented people in the 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. So whether you're an Olympian or a 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]
[00:00:40] BW: Please welcome today's guest, Jeidus DeSeranno, a 14-year-old foil fencer who represents the Renaissance Fencing Club of Michigan. Jeidus is what we call a rising star in the sport of fencing. He's been rising for a long time, actually. At the 2021 Summer Nationals in Philadelphia, Jeidus won the national championship in both Y12 and Y14 men's foil. And then that was two years before COVID when he won the Y10 men's foil national championship in 2019 in Columbus. So, we are honored to have you today. Welcome to the podcast, Jeidus.
[00:01:12] JDS: Thank you, Bryan. It's awesome having me here. I really enjoy the podcast, and everything you've put out so far. I've listened to all the other episodes and it's just a pleasure to get to be on here with you. Thank you.
[00:01:23] BW: That's great. Well, thank you. Yeah, it's going to be a fun conversation. So, can we go back to the beginning and talk about how you first got involved in fencing. I know your dad was a college hockey player, so you were yourself a hockey player before you’re a fencer. So, for all your success that you've had in fencing, I think people might wonder, how you got started and were you like five or six years old when you started? But how old were you and what made you want to give fencing a try?
[00:01:52] JDS: So, I was actually a little bit late starting. I was almost nine when I started fencing, which I don't think is too late. But it's definitely an advantage to start a bit younger. But in my case, just hard work is able to push through that. So, I started fencing, as I said, at about nine, it was a transition from playing hockey, which I played decently competitive hockey, and we were playing pretty much every day. I've always had that competitive nature in sports.
So, with hockey, I started when I was about six, and really, really enjoyed hockey. It was a fun sport. But I played hockey, and when I played, I'd poke people. I do the fencing moves while playing hockey. I'd get some penalties for poking kids. Around the house, we'd have toy lightsabers from Star Wars, all that. Well, my parents realized that I couldn't be hitting my siblings with swords that much, so they had to find an outlet for that. And my dad looked up Olympic fencing. I saw a video and just eyes wide, I want to do that. Since then, I have never looked back. I've put as much effort in as I can and I just really love the sport.
[00:03:04] BW: So, you were getting all those penalties in hockey and everything. And then at some point, you must have said, “Okay, I'm going to devote all my time to fencing, because it does take up time to be a high-level fencer.” So, what was the mentality behind that decision? What were some of those conversations around the house?
[00:03:20] JDS: That was actually, that was quite an ordeal. Because as I said, I was playing decently competitive hockey. My parents thought, “Hey, he's playing really well in hockey, why take him out for this sport that we don't know anything about this obscure sport.” Actually, we all had to sit down as a family and have this conversation, and it came to the setting factor of I just really love fencing. I enjoyed hockey, but it doesn't compare whatsoever to fencing. It's unique. It's really just an awesome sport.
[00:03:52] BW: Yeah. It seems like the right decision because you've had so much success so far. I want to talk about one of those early tournaments and I read an interview with you that was in American Fencing Magazine from a few years back and you talked about, there was a Y8 RYC, or Regional Youth Circuit event that you won, and you kind of cited that as a as a transformational moment for you. So, what was it about that early success that was so big for your confidence?
[00:04:22] JDS: Yes. So, at that point, I was still playing hockey and fencing and kind of trying to figure out how to keep them both in a balance, and it was starting to fall apart and both were suffering a bit. That's when we were deciding which one I was going to go for. And then I went to my first competitive fencing tournament, and first event there, we got there and I fenced the Y8, and I ended up winning that event and it was just probably the most excited I've ever been in my life. It was just exhilarating. Then that was really a big decider of what sport I was going to end up getting into, because I fenced –I loved it. I enjoyed fencing at that event. Since then, I've just tried to continue that feeling, just enjoying fencing.
[00:05:07] BW: That's awesome. So, it beats scoring a goal in hockey than getting that goal at a tournament?
[00:05:13] JDS: Oh, yeah.
[00:05:15] BW: That's awesome. So, right now, it's summer when we're recording this. Obviously, the school year is taking a break for students during the summer. But I'm interested in how like a typical week works for you, how you manage to have time for schoolwork, or social life, fencing, all that. So, walk us through like Sunday to Saturday, what a normal week, if there's such a thing, that looks like for you.
[00:05:39] JDS: So, due to homeschooling, I'm able to fit my scheduling a bit more, basically, change things around. I'm actually able to take my private lessons during school hours. I usually get up, have breakfast, head to the fencing club for a private lesson, head home, homework, reading, hopefully take a nap, lunch and all that, and then head back to the club for practice in the evening and that's pretty much Monday through Friday.
Saturday is extra bouting, just put in a lot of work on Saturdays. And then Sunday, I usually tried to take a bit lighter, usually go to the gym for an hour or two, and then that's my light day. Not much fencing then. So, just yeah, not really your usual week, fencing, homework and then fencing again, instead of putting everything in the morning and then fencing in the evening.
[00:06:31] BW: Yeah, that flexibility is super helpful. I'm just so impressed when I talk to young fencers like yourself or like we had Hadley Husisian on and she mentioned that she has seven days a week of practice, many weeks, sometimes just six. So, how do you keep the motivation, I guess, to keep on returning to practice, day after day, week after week?
[00:06:54] JDS: It's just the love of the sport. There's really nothing I'd rather do. Every morning I wake up and I just want to fence. If we go on vacation, I can't stop thinking about fencing. I actually have a funny case where I'll sleep fence. I know it sounds a little silly. But I dream about fencing and I'll actually, I'll do a parry post while I'm asleep. I've actually thrown myself out of bed trying to hit someone just in my dream. It was actually a funny one.
[00:07:21] BW: That’s awesome. They say when you learn a foreign language, you know you're getting close to being fluent when you start like dreaming in that language. So, for you, you're fluent in fencing, and you're now dreaming in it. That's so cool. How about keeping it fun? Because okay, I hear stories sometimes about young athletes like yourself who have been doing it for a while. And then when they're 15, 16, they're kind of burnt out, as they are reaching their potential peak or taking it to the next level. So, I mean, you're talking about how much fun you're having. Is that the secret to avoiding burnout, just keeping it fun? And if so, how are you keeping it fun?
[00:07:59] JDS: So, in my case, I try to never take anything way too seriously. If there's a moment where I do really well, I try to work off of that and continue doing well. If there's a moment where I do poorly, you take that as a learning experience, and you try to get better from there. There's really just – as long as you never think of there being a bad moment. Everything is a learning experience or success, which just means everything's a success. And as long as you can keep it fun and continue enjoying yourself, there's no reason to burn out.
[00:08:29] BW: That's a great attitude. Yeah, because you're not going to win every single bout, right? So, I want to talk about event selection, and obviously, this is a big thing for someone who's successful like yourself, where you have many different event levels, event classifications that you can enter. When we're recording this, you are number two in Y14 and cadet which is under 17. And I even looked at the junior rankings before we recorded and that's under 20. And you at 14 are the highest ranked cadet on that list. So, my question is when you look at a tournament and see the events are available to you, how do you decide that, “Hey, yeah, I'm going to stretch myself and enter those cadet junior and senior level events at this tournament”, in addition to the Y14 which “lowest event” that you qualify for.
[00:09:18] JDS: Yeah. So usually, at an event, I just want to fence everything. I just want to fence as much as possible. And if that's not possible, I go with whatever event is the hardest. I want to fence senior. That's the one I want to fence the most. Then we go to junior cadet. If I don't have time to fence Y14, I won't fence Y14. It's not as much competition. I'd rather fence those hard bouts and have to work hard. I really enjoy the competition of it.
[00:09:41] BW: So, that can sometimes mean though that you're not going to get the gold medal that you might be the favorite to get in Y14. But now when you're fencing in senior, you might finish, I don’t know, 40th, right? So, how do you keep the motivation there when you're not getting that instant gratification?
[00:09:59] JDS: Yeah, so at least in my opinion, winning a tough bout is so much better than winning an easy event against easy opponents. I would rather win one DE a World Cup than win Y14. It's just the level of competition is so different that I would rather fence that hard bout and get that difficult victory, than win something that's really just a walk in the park.
[00:10:25] BW: Yeah, sure. Now, that makes complete sense. One thing I've really grown to appreciate about fencing is, it is the great equalizer, right? It's such an individual sport, and it does vary from tournament to tournament that there's nothing that is preventing a 14-year-old from beating a 19-year-old. But what does that actually like on the strip? That's what I obviously don't know. What does it like when you realize that the person you're facing might have been fencing for five or 10 years longer than you, and I've been doing it for a long time, and they're older and more experienced than you are?
[00:10:59] JDS: Yeah, so it's interesting. I fenced a few Olympians and it's always – it's interesting to see someone who I've watched on YouTube, like, I'll watch their videos and I'll idolize these fencers. And then I'll go up and fence them. I always have to tell myself beforehand, it's just an even playing ground. We're just two people in a sword fight together. It doesn't matter that one of us may have more experience, it's just whoever gets out there and performs is the one who's going to win. That's the take that I always try to have going into these tough bouts.
[00:11:32] BW: Yeah, so you try not to be like starstruck in a sense and be like, “This is the guy that I've been watching for years”, and just treat it like any other bout.
[00:11:41] JDS: Yeah, the goal is to walk into every bout like you own the place. You got a huge confidence going into every match no matter how unmatched you are.
[00:11:48] BW: Let's flip that around, because in a Y14 event, for example, you would be the favorite and there's someone else on the other side of the strip, who is maybe has watched some of your bouts on YouTube, right? And is thinking, “Okay, well, I have a chance to beat this guy.” So, what's your, maybe advice or thoughts about the other end of that equation?
[00:12:05] JDS: So, if I ever have that intimidation factor, I always try to reinforce it as quickly as possible in the bout. If I can, in the first three seconds, score two touches, and just show my opponent, “Hey, I'm here. I know that you have a chance of beating me, but I'm going to take that away as fast as possible.” I'm just going to show that, “Hey, I'm the better fencer, and I'm just going to win here.” In those events, it's always actually very stressful for me, fencing that level, because you're supposed to win, you're the favorite, there's all this pressure riding on you. But I always just try to get out there with the same confidence that I've got in senior, just no matter what happens, it's a learning experience, and I'm just going to do my best and fight my way through.
[00:12:47] BW: Yeah, I think that's the right mentality. I also want to talk about one of your frequent opponents who actually isn't 12 years older than you, like some of them are, but as your age, it's Luao Yang, who is just a month older than you, and he also fences at Renaissance Fencing Club in Michigan. I know you all face each other quite a bit like at the 2021 Summer Nationals, it was you versus Luao in the finals, and you won that one. So, what is it like fencing on a final strip against someone you know so well?
[00:13:16] JDS: Yes. So, Luao and I, we've been friends for so long. We're club mates. We train together daily, actually. I think I've probably fenced him more times than I fenced anyone else, and him and I, we know each other so well. Just going into about with him, it's like just seeing an old friend again. Every time we fence, it’s always fun. We get out there. But him and I both know you have to get out there and work as hard as you can. But afterwards, we're still great friends and no hard feelings. Everything's left out on the strip.
[00:13:44] BW: That's great. So, to me, it seems crazy that the two best Y14 men's foil fencers are from the same club. So, is there a rivalry there? Do you look at the point standings and say, “Okay, I've got this many, he's got that many.”
[00:13:58] JDS: No, not at all. The whole idea between the two of us, the dynamic is just we don't focus on the points or who's doing better in the events, we just try to push each other and make each other better. I don't think really either of us could be close to where we are now without the other one. I've learned so much from him and I think it's the same. So, it's really just a learning experience and it's no coincidence that the two best fencers are together.
[00:14:20] BW: That's really cool. Yeah, I love that story. Speaking of learning experience, let's pivot a little bit and talk about the Plovdiv World Cup, which was in April in Bulgaria. I was looking at that tournament, you went 4-2 in pools and ended up finishing 105th out of 190 fencers, and again, this is a Senior World Cup event. There are Olympians, there are world champions in the tableau there. So, what did you take away from that experience, which I believe was your first senior world event, right?
[00:14:48] JDS: Yes, that was my first Senior World Cup. On the bus ride there, I sat next to Daniele Garozzo, and I don't think I've ever been that starstruck in my life. That was amazing. And then getting to fence and warm up with these guys that I've watched them on YouTube for five years, I've studied their videos, I think about them constantly. You know how in other sports, you'll have the kid kicking the soccer ball and doing it 100 times and every time he wins the World Cup. In fencing, you do the target, you do your hits, and you think about fencing Daniel Garozzo, and then getting to actually meet him was just surreal. It was really cool.
That event, it was just really interesting to see how I compare against the top level of fencers. I came in my first bout, to be honest, I was a little bit shaky, but got out there and fencing is fencing. Once you're on the strip, it's a battle. You got to fight. I think I gave some guys that run for their money. I fenced some people who were actually 20 years older than me, which was pretty interesting. My DE that I ended up losing, I lost 15-14 in a really good bout. So, I was happy with that performance. It was very, very cool to get out there. And then after, I got to cheer on the rest of the team USA. Nick Itkin made top eight. So, it was really cool. Lots of fun to be out there with the guys. It was great.
[00:16:08] BW: Yeah, that's so cool. So, what was that dynamic like with being there as part of the 12 members of Team USA, the men's foil team that was at that event? What was it like just being part of that? Because I have to think it felt a little different from a national tournament, where everybody's there representing their clubs. And almost everybody is representing Team USA, if you want to look at it that way, right?
[00:16:31] JDS: Yeah. It was definitely another level of camaraderie. It was really cool to see. And just in the national events, you know your club mates, but you're competing against all these people. You're competing against the Olympians, and then you go to the World Cup, and you guys are all together. You're the team there. So, it was really interesting to see how that dynamic changes. It's pretty cool.
[00:16:52] BW: That is cool. Has that inspired you to keep on pressing for World Cup events and Grand Prix events in the coming seasons?
[00:17:00] JDS: Oh, yeah, there's so much fun. I said earlier, I just enjoy the hardest competition I can find. From World Cups we got, that's it. That's the hardest fencer we could get. So yeah, I really enjoyed those and I look forward to fencing some more.
[00:17:14] BW: That's so cool. Let's talk about some of the adults behind the scenes who are helping you make your fencing career possible. Obviously, your dad helped set up this interview, so shout out to him. What would you say to some of the adults, your dad and others who have helped you along the way? What have they done that has really helped motivate you and support your incredible journey so far?
[00:17:36] JDS: Yeah. I mean, there's no way I can get to where I'm at without them. We have so much backing support. My dad, as you said, and then yeah, my mom's always there in my corner, my coaches, Anatolie Senic, Ann Marsenic, Lucia Procopio. Svetlana, just all of our coaching staff behind us as well. It would be just impossible to get where I'm at without all of them. I really appreciate everything they do for me.
[00:18:00] BW: That's so great. And finally, by the time this episode airs, you'll have already competed at Summer Nationals in Minneapolis, where you're scheduled for Y14 Cadet Jr., and Division One men's foil. And I should say our listeners can go to usafencing.org to find out how you did because we're recording this before you head to Minneapolis. But I want to talk about what's next for you, before we let you go here. What are your goals for the 2022, ‘23 fencing season and beyond? What are some of the goals you've set for yourself.
[00:18:31] JDS: So, every year, the main goal is to just get better. I want to make sure that from year to year, I see improvement and I work hard. But this year in particular, I'd like to make a push for the Cadet World Championships, which I missed very slightly this last year, and I'm really excited to see if I can get up there and make it this year. It's a very cool event and I'm hoping I can make it. It'll be a lot of fun.
[00:18:55] BW: That's great. And we'll be cheering you on and I just want to say thanks so much to Jeidus DeSerrano for being our guest and we wish you nothing but the best going forward. Thank you so much.
[00:19:04] JDS: Thanks for having me. It was a pleasure.
[END OF INTERVIEW]
[00:19:06] 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 liked 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.
[END]