A bit of a delay and some overdue updates…Ben is flying to Tokyo and Chris is recovering from a broken rib! What a great opportunity to to hear about what goes on in an Olympic and Paralympic village - sparring partners, holding camps, who gets into the village…Ben speaks from personal experience! Ben also has a story about how he got stuck in the Olympic village in Rio 2016 having lost his chaperone…not to be repeated! We also have our review of the Olympics… …stand out moments …how the results compared against the expectations …surprises and unexpected performances … And discuss when should ..read more

“We are part of a historic Olympics" We’re celebrating ?? Day? by bringing you an interview from the Women’s Foil Dream Team that are going to the Tokyo Olympics (sometimes referred to as the Pandemic Games) in FEWER THAN 30 days! Here’s a quick insight in their own words…“we’re quirky all the time, banter is our middle name”. In this whirlwind of an episode we get to know 3 of the 4 that will be on the plane (Jessica unfortunately couldn’t make the interview), how it felt to qualify pre-Covid and how they have dealt with a requirement to train at an elite level when the world was locked down ..read more

After taking his first real break from fencing since he started in 1994, Richard joins us to discuss his career, travels and all sorts of nonsense while sipping his afternoon Oolong tea. We go through training habits and philosophies and how he believes that he managed to turn his hobby into his profession with some tips for fencers that want to do the same (including how he deals with jet lag). We also talk about the Olympic qualification process, a topic that Richard is extremely well positioned to comment on considering that he took a different route to each Olympic Games he qualified for ..read more

Be brave, have fun, stay curious.  Play the game. This is our latest motto, which will always keep us going! Right? Ben and Chris talk about the latest developments in their training and what we can all continue to work on from home and what might change with the return of fencing looming… We cover our thoughts on the recent Sabre and Epee Olympic qualifiers (this was recorded before the Foil event in Doha) and label one athlete as the Federer of the fencing world.  Of course, we also talk about the Olympics and Ben’s experience as an Olympic training partner for Rio 2016. We also c ..read more

“Commit to the moment so that you finish with no regrets - don’t ever lose hits on the things that you can control” As a two time Olympian, this is the approach that Johnny Davis, the Olympic Team Manager for British Fencing, took to his very successful Fencing career. Johnny talks us through his life to date…from Belfast to a big shot in the music industry to his fencing career. He explains how he has taken these experiences into his role with the British Team. Providing us with insights into how he convert his athlete’s raw talent into world class performances. Having someone who’s been ther ..read more

Dan Berke is a tech head turned fencer who spotted an opportunity to make life at his club a little easier through technology. Now it’s 2021 and you have probably all used Fencing Time in some capacity either as a fencer, tournament organiser or spectator. The app grew naturally, with word spreading regionally...then nationally...then finally to the FIE who now use it at the worlds biggest events.  Dan still works as a software engineer while running Fencing Time and finding the time to speak to those using it to continuously find improvements. We get to hear his journey, where Fencing T ..read more

As COVID continues to reek havoc through all of Europe and with stricter measures being taken Nationally, what effect is this having on our mental health and our fencing? We thought it was time to check in with psychology again.  In this episode Ben and Chris are joined by British Fencing’s Lead Athlete Development Programme Sports Psychologist - Dr Jonathan Katz. Jonathan’s expertise has taken him to multiple Paralympic Games, European, World and Commonwealth Championships, making him an ideal person to talk to when things don’t go smoothly,  a little like trying to fence during a ..read more

Ben forgets how to keep score and Chris can’t put on a jacket...the longly anticipated return to fencing! It’s finally time...we’re back to sparring! It’s the moment where we get to see how much we have improved after all of our efforts during lockdown! Ben talks about his return to squad training and how tough a simple 5 hit bout can be after 6 months away and Chris explains how he is chomping at the bit for his first session back. With so many COVID restrictions in place, and rightly so, training doesn’t look the same as it used to. Ben and Chris take you though the things to watch out for a ..read more

“The life skills that can be taken from fencing are massive” ‘The Fenced In’ podcast meets arguably Scotland’s finest fencer, ever! Growing up with all the odds stacked against him all Keith Cook ever wanted was a garden with a tree in it. Who knew what the world had in store for him instead… In this episode we talk to a fellow friend, team mate, coach, father and athlete. The now retired (not confirmed!) senior international medalist, former British Champion and head coach of Salle Holyrood explains his journey and what it takes to be a fencing parent as well as coach to both his kids. This i ..read more

The fenced in podcast meets Maria and Sonia. British Fencing’s physiotherapist and sports therapist respectively. The dream team behind some of GB’s biggest successes! Maria and Sonia each run their own practice in different areas of London but that doesn’t stop them from finding them time support the fencers, and each other. Since Maria started, the GB team have qualified for the Rio Olympic Games, won numerous medals at World Cup, and with Sonia’s arrival followed not one but two World Championships silvers! We get to understand what makes Maria and Sonia tick, from their own athletic prowes ..read more