Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch. The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing. Today, we're chatting with two-time Olympian and 2024 Olympic champion Jackie Dubrovich, one of the four women of Team USA who earned gold in Paris.
Welcome to a special First to 15 miniseries: The Golden Touch.
The Golden Touch is a First to 15 miniseries exploring the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal in women’s team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Join us as we speak to the athletes, their coaches, and key support staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.
Today, we're chatting with two-time Olympian and 2024 Olympic champion Jackie Dubrovich, one of the four women of Team USA who earned gold in Paris.
EPISODE GOLDEN TOUCH 2
[INTRO]
[0:00:01] 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. 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.
[EPISODE]
[0:00:40] BW: Welcome to a special First to 15 podcast miniseries called, "The Golden Touch." We're doing a deep dive into the thrilling journey of Team USA as they secured their first-ever gold medal and women's team foil at the Paris 2024 Olympics. We're going to talk to the athletes, of course, their coaches, and also some of the behind-the-scenes staff who made history in one of the most unforgettable Olympic moments for USA Fencing.
Today, we have two-time Olympian and 2024 Olympic champion, Jackie Dubrovich, who was one of those four women who captured gold in Paris. Hey, Jackie. How's it going?
[0:01:12] JD: Hi. Thanks for having me, Bryan.
[0:01:14] BW: Yes. Welcome back to the podcast. This is the first episode, though, where we can say Olympic champion, Jackie Dubrovich. So, it makes this one extra special. So, we're recording here at the end of October, and it's been a few months since August 1st, 2024. When you think back on that day, what's the moment that stands out the most to you?
[0:01:32] JD: Oh my goodness. I would say, just being able to celebrate it with family and friends. Obviously, being on the podium. I mean, that was amazing. I look back at the photos, and I'm just crying hysterically, and it was a very emotional moment. But just being able to run to Brian afterwards, who was also in the box with the team, and to hug him, and to cry on his shoulder, and to see my parents in the stands, and celebrate the medal with them. It takes a village, and it's not just me out there. A lot of people have contributed to that success, so it was very special to be able to share it with them.
[0:02:08] BW: Yes. I want to talk about those moments after and from the 45th touch, to the medal ceremony, and then even the victory tour. But let's just kind of do a dive into the day if we can because it was such a history-making moment for Team USA and also something huge for you personally in your career, obviously. What do you remember about how that day started? You woke up knowing you'd be heading over to the venue defense against China. How are you feeling? What was the bus ride like? What was that like?
[0:02:41] JD: I mean, there's definitely a lot of nerves, I think. I can't imagine there's a single athlete that goes out there that isn't nervous to some extent. So, I just remember feeling nervous, but also excited. I had a tougher individual event about three days before, and so I had, I think, a renewed sense of purpose and motivation. I was just excited to – we had worked so, so hard these last three years, and very purposefully, very professionally. I just was so excited to go out there and show the world what we were capable of, and I knew that we could do it.
[0:03:19] BW: A lot of that was focused on this team event. It's so much preparation, like you said, three years for one day. A lot of people don't – I mean, listeners to this will know that, but a lot of people outside the sport, when they hear that the entire event is a single day, they're like, "Whoa, that's a lot to put on you for one day." So, can we talk about when you knew the seven teams, when those were finalized, the seven potential opponents in the team event. What did you and Coach Ralf Bissdorf, and Brian, and the other women, like what was that process of researching these teams, and watching film, and making a game plan?
[0:03:59] JD: Yes. That was one of the biggest things that we, as a team, thought that we could improve upon in the time between Tokyo and Paris, was to do very purposeful. I'll probably use that word a lot because I think that kind of encapsulates our process leading into Paris, was everything was very purposeful and intentional. Every two weeks, we had film analysis on the calendar and all of us would meet. Some of us were working, some of us were in school, and we would all find a time where we would be able to sit for an hour, sometimes two hours, and we would debrief.
If we had a competition before, we would kind of look at the strengths and weaknesses, formulate a different game plan if things didn't go well if we were to fence that team again. So, we were really, really intentional about looking at each team, identifying different matchups. What would make sense where, kind of trying to think one to two steps ahead of that team as well. and see if we could think about what they were going to do, what kind of lineup they were going to have, and we would adjust accordingly. I think the film analysis was probably the biggest thing that we did differently that I think yielded or helped tremendously in getting to where we did in Paris.
[0:05:15] BW: So, even if you're not all four physically in the same place, you're getting on Zoom with Ralf. I mean, what does that look like? He's bringing up specific touches that he's identified or specific legs, I guess, in the team event where he said, "This was a
real turning point for us. It went well. Maybe it didn't." Then, you're having a conversation about what you were actually feeling out there on the strip. Am I kind of characterizing it right?
[0:05:41] JD: Yes. It would also be – it would change. So, in the beginning of the season, we kind of did – or the beginning of the three years, we would do more general video analysis, I would say. Then, when we would have World Cups or World Championships, or let's say, we had a tough time with a particular team. We would watch team events with them fencing a different team that has beaten them, and see what they did, and see if we could implement that strategy, or how we could use the fencers that we have at our disposal to best emulate what
they did.
So, it would change all the time. There were certain times where we would be watching ourselves. We would watch individual matches too. So, there were times where we would have like a fencer that a lot of us would have issues with on a team. We would watch how other fencers around the world fence them in a direct elimination bout, and see if we can also adjust there. We were always taking notes. We had a whole database and so it was very involved, very detailed. I think, if we knew who we were fencing, we would always refer back to that video analysis and be like, "Okay. Let's implement that strategy, or let's do the things that we talked about during that video analysis in the World Cup setting or World Championships." And we had a lot of reps, so it helped a lot, I think.
[0:06:54] BW: Yes. Plenty of data to pull from. So, when you actually put on the mask, are you like thinking about that, or at that point, is it not just at the Olympics, but even at like, let's say a World Cup team event? Or at that point is it like, "Okay. I either am prepared for this, about or I'm not"? Or are you actually thinking, "Okay. I remember from this World Cup two months ago against this fencer, I did this and that"? I've never been in that situation, so I have no clue what's in your head.
[0:07:19] JD: Yes. I would say there's definitely small bits and pieces of what we've gone over. So, really a big intention of why we're doing video analysis too is to be able to identify these strengths and weaknesses, and also work on them at our individual clubs. So, I was working on these things with Brian in private lessons or in situational drills with my teammates. Or we would have camps and we would recreate certain situations based on the video analysis. So, everything kind of stemmed from that video analysis and then we would adjust our training accordingly.
I would say like, yes, there were parts of it in my head sometimes when we were fencing, but the point was to make it be subconscious, and be part of our fencing, because we worked on it so much.
[0:08:04] BW: Right. Obviously, Olympic fencing is like so high stakes, and that's one of the reasons that it's like, great television, and great viewing for the 8,000 people in the stands. But also, it can, I imagine, be like so stressful because there's only eight countries that qualify. Unlike a World Cup where there's several more, and there's earlier rounds that – and I'm putting this in quotes, "Are easier." There's nowhere to hide at the Olympics. So that part is stressful, but the good part is, if you win that first match against China, then you've got like two shots at the medal. Because you're guaranteed to, at worst, be fencing for bronze. You also could have lost – you could have easily lost to China because they're a strong team.
How do you approach that first round knowing that they're cold just like you are, but they're coming for Team USA because they also want to fence for a medal?
[0:08:58] JD: Yes. Like you said, it's incredibly intense and you can prepare all you want, and sometimes, you're not fencing well that day. I think, for me personally, in the China bout, I definitely felt the nerves set in and I was not fencing my best. I think the beauty of the team event is that you have your teammates to rely on. And if somebody is struggling, you have the other two people to lift you up. I think we're all really good at that. We identify when one person on the team is maybe struggling, or nervous, or things are just not working well, and the other two are able to kind of pick it back up, and revitalize, and bring the energy again. We saw that happen, both with China and with Canada as well, and all the bouts. If somebody didn't have a good leg, you had somebody else who came in and worked really hard and brought the score back up.
I think, when you're fencing in team match situations, there's so many things going through your head. But I think, like focusing on the match at hand, not thinking too far ahead, just really taking it one step at a time. We always talk about that. Ralf's advice is always, "One bout at a time, one bout at a time. Don't worry about it. You have your teammate to come on at the next bout and push it along. What happens in your first bout that you fence does not mean that that's
how you're going to fence for the other two bouts." So, you kind of forget about it, move on. You kind of have to have short term memory when you're fencing.
Against China, it was tough. They're a tough team. We fenced them multiple times in World Cups and we knew that they wanted it. We just tried to bring the energy and tried to want it more. I think we're a team that really, really wanted it. We knew what we were capable of. We hadn't won a major championship in some times, especially in this cycle between Tokyo and Paris. We had a lot of success at World Cups, but I think that inner fire and desire to win really showed itself.
[0:10:49] BW: Yes, I was wondering that. because thinking back to World's in Milan, obviously, not the result that you wanted there. How does that play into your preparation? Are you ever being like, "Remember Milan?" or anything like that? To just say, "Hey, we have a chance to really show up on an even bigger stage with an even bigger number of people watching?"
[0:11:11] JD: Yes. We didn't fixate too much on Milan, but it was definitely brought up, I think, during subsequent video analysis sessions. I think it was in everyone's minds that Milan didn't go as well as we had wanted. So, I think there was just some motivation stemming from that. I think, we didn't want to think too far ahead, but I think something that I was at least always thinking about is that, we hadn't beaten Italy at a major championship event. We had beaten them at World Cups, and that was really great. We never had that consistency beating them. I believe we had beaten them prior to the Olympics three times in a row.
But when you're fencing a team at World Championships or the Olympics, it's a different level of intensity. It's a different level of fire and determination that you just – you can't really replicate at World Cups. It's just not as impactful at a World Cup. Not to take away from those victories, because we did have amazing team matches during the days that we had won those World Cups, but it's a different playing field. So, I think that was like that really, that inner motivation and that drive that it was – we had unfinished business with them.
[0:12:20] BW: Yes. I love that. So, going back to kind of our round-by-round look back. You beat China 45, 37. But while that's going on, at the exact same time in this chaotic moment, Canada was upsetting France, the host nation. I don't remember where they were, if they were diagonal or next to you, you probably remember. But, do you have any awareness of that that was going on while you were fencing or did you find out after?
[0:12:48] JD: I think it's hard to not sometimes like sneak a peek and look at what's happening next to you. We were obviously focusing on what was going on, but I think like going on an hour match. But I think, it's human nature, you're going to kind of look around and see what's happening around you. It was, kudos to Canada. They did a really fantastic job. To beat France at home, I mean, that's a different level of pressure, and the crowd is all against you.
We had fenced Canada at Pan Ams very recently, so we knew that we had that confidence going into that bout with Canada. We had a really decisive team match against them. Obviously, things can change. What happened before, it doesn't mean it's going to happen again. But we did have that confidence going in. So, we couldn't help but watch, and we finished before they finished their match. So, we were already kind of in discussion, what's the line up going to be? How do we want to approach this? Do we want this to be like it was in Peru or do we want to change it in any way? So, yes, there's definitely a lot of that going on.
[0:13:52] BW: Yes. At this level, there's no countries that are just totally unfamiliar to you, or that you haven't seen before, but you do have that extra history with Canada, just because pretty much every zonal event, it's one and two, US, Canada, right? I think it was maybe like two hours between the two. How did you spend that couple of hours? Was it more strategy talk? Was it just, "Hey, we all need to rest"? What was that interval before the semifinals?
[0:14:22] JD: Yes. Typically, I would say in the immediate aftermath, after we're done fencing, we want to rest. So, we'll do our routine of hydration, getting some food in our systems. While that's going on, if anyone needs like medical, things like that. Then, usually, an hour into that, Ralf and Brian would come over, and we would kind of discuss strategically how we want to approach the match. Then, we would have time to warm up, and get right back into the swing of things. So, I think we all are like very regimented when it comes to that. We have our own routine of how we refuel, and then we re-strategize, and then we re-warm up, and then we get right back into things. It's kind of a science now that we have down path.
[0:15:05] BW: Yes. How do you, as someone who has – because this might be
beneficial to a younger fencer to hear. Once you have that routine down, do you record it somewhere, or are you writing this down, so you're like, "I really felt good when I did this, this, and this before the match." Or, "Actually, I shouldn't have –" I don't know, I'm just making this up. "I shouldn't have eaten 15 minutes before when I did" or something like that. How do you remember or keep track of all that? What works?
[0:15:35] JD: Yes. I would say, for me, after 22 years, it's been a lot of trial and error. I never wrote it down anywhere, but I did kind of see – well, one, we do have the ability to work with a really great nutrition staff, and sports med, and through the US OPC. So, they've frequently done presentations for us to kind of talk to us about what's good to do for refueling purposes. So, using that information, we've adapted it to our individual needs. If somebody is injured, they're probably going to spend more time with sports med, and getting taped up, or whatever treatment they need.
So, we all adjust based on our needs in that moment. But yes, I would say, just trial and error. I will say, one thing that I did when I was younger that I would not recommend for fencers is, I was so nervous that I wouldn't eat, and you definitely need to refuel your body. Fencing tournaments are so long, and like going 12 hours sometimes, where you're not eating is not good for you, and will definitely impact your performance. So, take it from me, definitely refuel.
[0:16:40] BW: Yes. The Olympics are unique in that way, and like the actual amount of – the pressure is at the highest, but the actual amount of fencing is lower than a USA Fencing NAC, where you're just going every 10 minutes almost, it seems like. Canada, what do you remember about that match against Canada, knowing that this is kind of make-or-break moment for a medal? If you win, then you're guaranteed no worse than silver.
[0:17:09] JD: Yes. I think we were all really pumped. We were all really excited. We had, in Tokyo, Lee and myself, we had lost in that same match. It was against Russia, but it was in that same round. So, I just think we just wanted to win so badly, so, so badly. Even though talking about right now, I'm like getting all excited again. We just wanted to win so badly. I think we came out with really guns of blazing in that bout.
We started a little slow, I would say, but I think it goes back to what I was saying. Like, if one person is not fencing as well, you have your other two teammates to bring you right back up. We always had that confidence and trust in one another. There was never a moment where if I was watching somebody else have a tough bout, that I felt like, "Oh, we're going to lose." I knew that we could pull it out. I always felt that if I came off of a tough bout, and I looked at my teammates, and they were always positive, and they were always so motivated and excited, and nobody was nervous, and nobody was upset. That gave me renewed confidence for my other bouts that I would have to fence.
So, yes, there was just like a lot of fire and determination going into that bout. It was close in the beginning, I would say, like they were keeping it pretty level. Then, we had like a couple of legs that just kind of blew the lead larger, and there was just like no going back. We're like, "There's no way we're going to let this up. We got this."
[0:18:37] BW: Yes. You were so good in that match. So, you fenced in the seventh leg, and then you leave Team USA with a nice lead, and then Lee, and then Lauren in the eighth and ninth. So, when you, I guess this applies in any team match, but especially in this one. When you sit down, and you're like, "Okay. I've done all I can do in this match. Now, I just get to watch and sit here and be stressed." What's going through your mind at that point? You know you've got a lead and it's literally out of your hands at this point.
[0:19:08] JD: I think I just have a lot of trust in my teammates. I've always historically been in that position for team. So, I think it's good for me as a fencer too, because sometimes, you're fencing like one after the other, after the other. Although, it's very physically tiring. I'm just like a very intense aggressive fencer. So, having that time to just give it my absolute all, like deplete myself essentially is, I think is really good for me and like the style of fencing that I have. But when I'm sitting there watching, I mean, I had a lot of people actually reach out to me and we're like, you are going crazy in the box. You were just like the person who's like screaming and supporting. I derive a lot of happiness and joy in supporting my teammates when they're fencing. I think it's exciting.
Sometimes, you need that energy. When you're on the strip, you feel it. But you look in the box and everybody looks sad, and upset, and feels like the bout is done and is lost, you have no motivation. You feel like they don't believe in you. So. I always try to – even if I had a tough match, which early on in my career, it was it was tougher when I would have a tough match to bounce back, and be happy. Not happy, but just excited and supporting other people. I would kind of sit with that and feel really guilty. But I really tried to be yelling, and supportive, and give advice, and just be the person that you feel that energy is just coming from.
[0:20:34] BW: Yes. That's probably what they needed in that moment. Then, Lauren gets the last touch. When did it dawn on you? Was it at the 45th touch or was it a little bit before that? "Hey, I'm going to be an Olympic medalist." I mean, at that point, you probably weren't necessarily thinking gold. But, "Hey, I'm going to walk home from Paris with some hardware." When does that sink in?
[0:20:57] JD: Yes. I think there was a point where we had a pretty sizable lead that I knew. My mind started wandering to the finals and how we were going to approach that. Obviously, it was still present, but you can't help but not think about, "Okay, this is what we worked so hard for. This is the dream that we had collectively." So, it was still very exciting when we got that 45th touch, but my mind was already thinking about Italy.
[0:21:23] BW: Of course, it was going to be Italy. I mean, like this team that's been kind of a frequent rival. I actually talked to Ralf in Atlantic City at the NAC. I was like, "Yes, and Team USA was the underdogs." He was like, "Wait a second. Actually, we weren't." Because not only what you mentioned that we had had some recent success against Italy in the team event, but also, Ralf went through and made a spreadsheet of like all of your rankings of the four from Team USA and the four from Italy. It was, I think it was exactly equal.
So, the international ranking, which of course is based on individual results. But if you look at those, it was the exact same. So, these were two evenly match teams, it was almost destined that it was going to be the two of you in the finals. So, like, what's the mindset at that point? Another couple of hours or more, I don't remember exactly, before the final. What's going through everybody's heads at that point?
[0:22:20] JD: Yes. Well, it's really funny. So, we had a little bit more time between the finals. We actually ordered, this is like – this is so funny because everyone was walking by, and was like, this is so American. We ordered McDonald's and we're just [crosstalk inaudible 0:22:32]. We're just like gorging on McNuggets, and fries, and like being very American and obnoxious.
[0:22:41] BW: We're waiting for that sponsorship, right? Come on. Come through, McDonald's. Let's go.
[0:22:46] JD: Yes. I would say, again, it was just – we had a routine of what we're going to do now. We had more time. So, we, we were kind of just hanging out, eating, refueling, playing games, and just laughing. We're very lighthearted. There was a lot of joy and excitement because we knew that this is where we wanted to be.
[0:23:06] BW: That's a little surprising. I would have pictured it kind of being real, real tense, but it's interesting to hear that it wasn't.
[0:23:13] JD: Yes. There was a certain lightheartedness with everybody, like everyone was just excited. We were happy, and we weren't complacent. We weren't like, "Oh, we're in the finals. This is it. We're happy with silver." I don't think that was ever a thought that was going through anyone's head. We had the track record against Italy, maybe not at a major championship, but we had beaten them. We had done so much video analysis. We had been very, again, intentional with our strategy. I mean, I'm sure we'll get into the next question. But it was like, people asked me what it was like to be a part of, and to watch it happen, and it was like a symphony. It was like, everyone was working together in conjunction, and doing their job, and it was perfect. It was perfect even if there were bouts that were lost, or things didn't go our way, or a call we thought was ours didn't go our way. It just kind of rolled off of everybody, and everyone just did their job.
[0:24:08] BW: There was no way you could not feel like – I'm getting goosebumps just
thinking about it, the gravity of that moment because they even had – anybody who's seen the video will know that they had you four at the top of this giant staircase. So, even the entrance was over the top and insanely cool. You also have to be, "We're here to fence. So yes, it's this presentation, but we need to get past this." But what are you feeling in that moment when you can see 8,000 people out there, and you're going down this grand staircase?
[0:24:45] JD: Oh, yes. I mean, that introduction was beautiful. It was so amazing. Honestly, my first thought was, don't trip and don't fall down.
[0:24:53] BW: Right. It's only on live TV. I mean, but what could go wrong?
[0:24:58] JD: They were a lot of steps and they were very small, like the height a bit dif-, it was very small. Maia was setting the pace, and she was just like bounding down the steps, and I'm like, "Chill. Stop going so fast. We all have to follow you." I mean, it was amazing. It was so beautiful. The whole – the venue, it was breathtaking. It's hard to put into words how beautiful it was, but it was the introduction that we deserved. This was like the grand finale. We were always pretty consistently, like the two teams. Yes, there were other points in the season where people, where other teams were beating us, but like, I think this was, for this quad, like the teams that were meant to be in the finals. It was fitting and it was as grand as like the actual matchup.
[0:25:44] BW: Yes. It's what everybody wanted to see, obviously, team USA fans, especially, but any fencing fans. We're recording this in the middle of the World Series. It's Yankees versus Dodgers. It's like the two teams that people want to see. So, in the finals, let's talk about the substitution. Because people who follow Olympic fencing know that the coach, if they don't make this substitution, then they're essentially denying that person an Olympic medal, which is a rule that I got to say I don't love. But you understand why Ralf put Maia in. What are you feeling in that moment knowing that you helped get Team USA to this point, and then that Maia's going to come in, and hopefully bring it home the rest of the way?
[0:26:24] JD: Yes. It is a really tough role. It was even – I think before, in previous Olympics, it was even more crazy because people had to move out of the village, and all these sorts of things. So, it's very intense. But, I mean, Maia offense spectacularly, and it was such a smart strategic move to do it when Ralf did. Maia has had a lot of success in particular with left-handed Italian fencers. She has just shown she has – that matchup is really advantageous for her. So, I knew that there was a possibility and probably my spot would be the one that made the most sense to do a substitution for, regardless of how I fenced. I think it was the right decision.
We had numerous times throughout the season, like put Maia in in the anchor match and things like that, which is definitely very tricky, and something that I don't know if we were comfortable with doing at the Olympics, like putting her in cold. So, it made a lot of sense to substitution. We obviously wanted her to come away with a gold medal. She deserved it. She was such a huge part of this team. I was just so proud watching her, like she didn't – the moment didn't get to her. She just fenced spectacularly, and she was strong, and she was confident, and she started a little slow. I knew, I knew, I was like, "She's fine, she's fine."
People started – there's some rumblings like, "Oh, no, we're down like two or three zero in this match." I was like, "She got it. She knows." All I could do is just cheer for her, and support her. I'm so proud of her, she did so well.
[0:27:59] BW: Yes. I mean, you would know best, like from being courtside. I guess, you could call it to seeing like, "Hey, yes. She might have given up a couple of touches, but you're not stressing about it at all." Then, it was just so incredible, like everyone, like you said, it was a – I love how you put it with a symphony. Then, it's 40 to 32 going into the final leg. And Lauren, who's not going in cold, but this is her first Olympics, we've got to remember. What is your feeling knowing that Lauren needs five touches before Errigo can get, I guess, 13 or time expires? The odds are in Team USA's favor, but it's not done yet.
[0:28:39] JD: Yes. I mean, Errigo is an amazing fencer. She's incredibly accomplished and experienced. I didn't think it was outside the realm of possibility that she could do that. That's what a lot of people don't understand, is like, it was not – we didn't win it yet. It was possible for her to come back. I had always had trust in Lauren. She's been in that position, the anchor leg multiple times. We did a lot of experimentation throughout the last three years. What makes sense with who, and what position, against which team. So, she was well-equipped.
I know that it was nerve-wracking, and I think, when I've spoken to her since – it's a lot of pressure, and it's very exciting. Like you want I to finish fast. Everything is happening both very fast, but very slow at the same time. It's like time slows, but everything, maybe around you, everything is slow, but then, everything is so fast in front of you. Errigo is like this huge, imposing, like physically gifted left-handed fencer. She's a legend in the sport. Lauren did it, she got us over the finish line, and she fought hard, and she was physical, and she did what she had to do. So, it was amazing.
[0:29:47] BW: I mean, I could go back and watch that, like the celebration every day, anytime I'm feeling down. That's a good way to get a nice little pump up. But what's going through your mind at that moment? I mean, we see you hugging your teammates, and running over to Brian Kaneshige, who of course is your fiancé and coach. What's in your head at that moment?
[0:30:08] JD: I felt an enormous sense of relief, I would say. There was a lot of relief. There was a lot of sadness after Tokyo for a lot of reasons, for women's foil. Both for the team event, Buckie passing. There was a lot of that as an undercurrent. I remember just like looking at Lee, and there's a photo of us, and we're just both falling, and reaching for each other.
I sometimes joke around with the younger girls, and like, "You guys are so spoiled." It was not always like this. We didn't always have this success. It was a really long road to this. It was also in part to a lot of other women who have fenced and like built the foundation for this team to win. I think that's something that it's not appreciated enough is like, they were trailblazers in this sport, generations before us, and they started chipping away, and they were chipping away.
Then, it all came to this one moment in Paris, where finally, we were able to break through. But it didn't happen in a vacuum, it happened because of so many generations of other women's foil fencers who contributed. But yes, I would say, relief, like immense joy. Like I said, all the photos of me are of me crying hysterically. There was not one pretty photo of me on the podium. It was just, yes, it just felt really amazing to know, like 22 years of being in the sport, and giving it my all amounted to a gold medal. That's kind of surreal.
Then, with Brian, yes. With Brian, just to be able to share it with him, that's so, so special. He's so deserving to be in this – he was such a big part of the team, and he was so invested in the team's success. Like yes, because I was on it, of course, like I'm not going to – but he also really loved the team. It was so important for him for us to do well. To be able to share it with him, and Ralf, and my teammates, I mean, kind of hard to put into words how special it is.
[0:32:04] BW: Yes. It was certainly helpful that Brian was right there since he was in the coach's box with Rald. So, you were able to have that reunion right away. But one thing people might not know is that, with the Olympics, you don't get to just run to see your friends and family right away. You had to go through the media, and then there's the doping control, and then they send you to a press conference after that. When, and where, and how was that final reunion when you were able to see those people in the stands that had had your back?
[0:32:36] JD: Yes, it was really beautiful. My parents were able to be there. I didn't have anybody in Tokyo. I had Brian, because he was there as my coach, but you couldn't have friends and family. And my sister-in-law, and her family, and my friends were there. I mean, I just like took off my medal and gave it to them to pass around. It was just really emotional. The people who are close to me know how hard I've worked for this. So, to be able to share it with them is so important, because it's not just me They've sacrificed a lot. They've supported me. They've woken up early to watch my matches in Europe and Asia. It takes a village to get here. You can't do it by yourself.
[0:33:17] BW: Then, the media tour. So, the next day after a celebration the night before and waking up. And yes, the medal is still there. That really all just happened. Now, you have to do another whirlwind day, which is Team USA in conjunction with NBC plans, this like whole day-long media tour, where you make all these different stops, and have to answer the same questions again and again. What was that experience like for you? Becoming kind of an overnight star for team USA, gold medalist, and someone who's now making headlines not just in New Jersey, but all over the country.
[0:33:53] JD: Yes. It was very tiring, I will say. It was like a full day of media, but it was so much fun. We were meeting other medalists. We were hanging out with Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. That's crazy. But no, it was fun to be able to share our stories. It was fun to hopefully bring fencing more into the spotlight as it deserves to be. We really hope that this historic achievement kind of continues the momentum for fencing. We hope that it's inspirational for young girls and women to get into the sport, because it's an amazing sport and it's changed all of our lives.
We also had like a fun like media tour when we got home too, and we were able to go to all the major networks, and that was really fun. Again, very tiring, but we had a lot of fun. We did. I'm a big Bravo girl. I love the Housewives franchise. So, being on with Andy Cohen and watch what happens live was kind of surreal, but it was really, really fun. And to be able to talk about fencing in that way was really nice.
[0:34:57] BW: Where's the medal now? Where does it reside in your house?
[0:35:01] JD: Right now, I think it's on my – we're looking to build something that's a little bit nicer to showcase it. Right now, it's actually in this crocheted pouch that a sitting volleyball player, Bethany Zummo. She actually made crocheted pouches for all the medalists who reached out to her. She just did it out of the goodness of her heart. So, I reached out and was like, "This is beautiful." I don't have a carrying case for this. They give us a big box. I can't bring that around. So, that's where I have my medal now, and hopefully, it'll have a nicer resting place where everybody can enjoy it.
[0:35:39] BW: So, it's certainly nice to be an Olympic champion, but there's also like a responsibility to it as well to be kind of like, now, you're forever ambassador for fencing. How do you plan to shoulder that? I don't want to say burden, but that responsibility going forward.
[0:35:56] JD: Yes. That's a great question. Well, I think something that both Brian and I are doing is, we have always wanted to open up our own fencing club. That was always a dream of ours. So, we decided before Paris that regardless of what was going to happen, that was the next step, is that we were going to build a fencing club. So, that's actually where I am right now taking this podcast, is that we're building a fencing club in New Jersey, and we're opening November 1st, and we're really excited.
[0:36:24] BW: Oh my gosh.
[0:36:25] JD: Yes, very soon. It's a soft launch. I will preface that. It's not like – we still have a ways to go, but we're very excited. It's our way of being involved in the sport. It's a way to also – I've always spoken about this, is like, I think fencing does – it's kind of tough sometimes because there is a high barrier to entry and it can be pretty inaccessible to people. So, our goal once we get up and running, and established is, do things and have initiatives that make fencing more accessible to people in the community.
I'm pretty passionate about that because I was one of those kids who was identified early on that I had talent, and I had a coach that saw that, that potential in me, and invested in me. But that's not always the case for everybody. So, I was very lucky in that way. But yes, I feel very strongly about getting young women into the sport too. I think sport is so beautiful because once it's done, and once you're not a competitive athlete anymore, whether that's like in college or even before, if you don't stick with something, you still learn incredible lessons, life lessons, and it really shapes you as a human being. So, I think the power of sport is really important and it's really important to get young kids into it.
[0:37:42] BW: What's the name of the club so that people can look you up?
[0:37:46] JD: Yes. It's Polaris Fencing Center and it's located in Orange, New Jersey.
[0:37:51] BW: I love it. It's the home of Olympic champion, Jackie Dubrovich. I see a white wall behind you, we need to make that in big letters on the wall there. That's going to be so great. So, I just love talking with you and I'm so excited to see that you were – even after your competitive career is over, you're still going to be sticking around fencing. So, you talked about the club, but then also, you're going to be on the USA Fencing Board. So, that's really exciting.
So, helping shape the direction of fencing for those same young women, frankly, that you were talking about. Making the path easier for them and opening new opportunities both from that governance perspective as well, I guess we could say. That's super exciting. Finally, I just want to say thank you for all that you've done for the sport, because it's been so amazing watching you. I know just like you were inspired by some of the women's foilists who laid the path for you. You are doing that for others now. So, congratulations.
[0:38:49] JD: Thank you.
[0:38:50] BW: Good luck. I know we'll be seeing more from you soon.
[0:38:55] JD: Thank you so much.
[END OF INTERVIEW]
[0:38:58] 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 a 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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