Academy of Fencing Masters Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary

Academy of Fencing Masters Celebrates 1 Year Anniversary

Exactly one year ago today the Academy of Fencing Masters opened its doors for the first time. On August 21, 2013, AFM came to be and a new life began.

We started with only one fencing class and just a handful of members, most of whom are still with us today. In just one year we grew tremendously and we now offer a full spectrum of fencing classes from Beginner to Competitive in all age categories: children and youth, junior and adult.

We established AFM with a simple mission: to create a ‘third home’ for children, a place where they could learn, master, and excel in the sport of fencing on one side, and learn about real life values on the other. We wanted to create a fencing academy that honored the true meaning of the word ‘academy,’ a word that has roots in tradition and culture.

In the last year we witnessed many highs: our fencers won several dozens medals in different levels of competitions, dozens of fencers received or upgraded their fencing ratings, many received national points, and much more. These accomplishments are no doubt important for the continuation of our club.

However, just as important to us, we’ve also witnessed the transformations our fencers go through after they start fencing at AFM. We’ve had many kids join our club that previously didn’t like any sport, who now are completely hooked and cannot stand a day without fencing. We’ve seen kids show tremendous growth with their self-confidence, self-awareness and self-assurance—kids that went from being very shy to being confident, outgoing, and well-accepted in their schools, kids whose parents tell us are happier and healthier now, and all because of their love and passion for fencing.

We are blessed with incredible families that give us support and, most importantly, trust us with the most precious thing in their lives: their children. We are grateful to all of you for that trust and we continue to work hard to justify your confidence in us.

Thank you for being part of our lives this year and we look forward to the coming decades of growing together as a club, as a community, and as citizens!

Yours,

Irina, Igor, Natasha, & Alexandr