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I am living in New York City once again after spending 1993-2004 training and studying fencing in Paris, France. Being there was a great experience since it gave me the chance to compete against and train with some of the world's best fencers, something other Americans dont have the chance to do back in the States 

When I grew up in New York, fencing was not something that was thought of as a sport. I was told bedtime stories about King Arthur and immediately took a shine to that notion of chivalry and romance. When I was three years old I saw "Ivanhoe" With Robert Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor. I decided then that I wanted to be a knight. The teachers at school a few years later didn't appreciate the notion that I wanted to knock other people off their horses, slay the dragon and rescue the damsel in distress. My mother patiently explained to me that I couldn't do that and I suppose I took it well. A few years later, I saw my first Errol Flynn movie. I was astounded: this was even better than being a knight: no horse, no armor, just a blade and all the swashbuckling I could ask for.

I didn't play 'cops and robbers' with my friends and brothers. It was usually 'robin hood', 'peter pan' or 'the king's musketeers and the cardinal's guards.' I always had an interest in swordplay even though it really didn't occur to me to learn.

That all changed in 1983, when my father gave me an article he clipped out from the New York Times. It was about Giorgio Santelli, a fencing Master who was a member of the 1920 Italian Olympic Gold-Medal winning sabre team. I looked his name up in the phone book and called him and he told me to come over to see him. He taught me the basic position, then looked at me and said "you are going to be my new student." He never gave me the choice, but somehow that didn't bother me. 

I worked with him for just over 2 years until his death on October 8th, 1985. He was a great man, who was just as much a foster father as a teacher. It sounds a bit cliche, but I can't imagine how my life would be now if I had not met him. 

I continued fencing under his assistant coach, but realized that I needed to go to Europe if I wanted to have a shot at being the best I could be. Its been an interesting time living in Paris. Competing in Europe is difficult and really gives one a sense of what is out there. Since the Europeans are the best at this sport, fencing against them is the only way to really gauge where you are in relation to the best there is. It was hard to be away from my country as much as I have been and I am happy to have returned to New York, despite the fact that I know how big an impact being in Paris has had on my life. 

Fencers here in France are treated very differently from what I encountered back home. The average man on the street in the States doesn't even know what fencing IS, whereas in Europe there is TV coverage of World Cups and other major fencing competitions. To compete in fencing against a European is to compete against centuries of history and state support. In the US we have neither." 

 
News Articles:
Inquirer & Mirror (Large)
Le Parisien I (Large)
Le Parisien II (Large)

Justin can be reached through the following intermediary


ATHLETIC ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2005



-Placed 13th at World Cup in Vancouver, Canada.

-10th Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Kansas City, Missouri.

-Began coaching at North Shore Fencer's Club, Great Neck, New York.

2004



-Placed 5th at World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

-Placed 11th at World Cup in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

-Placed 22nd at World Cup in Bogota, Columbia.

-Placed 29th at World Cup in Havana, Cuba.

-Placed 32nd at World Cup in Stockholm, Sweden.

-Ranked 52nd on the World Ranking List.

2003



-8th Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, San Diego, California.

-Took Fourth Place at World Cup Team competition with the US Men's Epee Team in Poitiers, France.

-Placed 19th at World Cup in Bogota, Columbia.

-Placed 26th at World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

-Placed 21st at World Cup in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

2002



-Took Bronze Medal at World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

-Took Bronze Medal at World Cup Team competition with the US Men's Epee Team in Sydney, Australia.

-Ranked 1st overall Individual Epee in the United States for the 2001/2002 season.

-Placed 7th at World Cup in Tallinn, Estonia.

-Placed 21st at World Cup in Budapest, Hungary.

-Placed 22nd at World Cup in Carolina, Puerto Rico.

-Placed 30th at World Cup in Tunis.

-Moved up to a career-high 38th on the World Ranking List

-Named to the US National Team.

-Named to the US World Championship Team

-9th Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, South Bend, Indiana.

2001


-7th Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Palm Springs, California.

-5th Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Greenville, South Carolina.

-Placed 15th at World Cup in Lisbon, Portugal.

-Placed 20th at World Cup in Tallinn, Estonia.

-Named to the US National Team.

-Named to the US World Championship Team

2000


-6th Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Ontario, California.

-Placed 7th at the United States National Championships in Austin, Texas.

-Placed 9th at the French National Circuit Competition, Livry-Gargan

-3rd Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, South Bend, Indiana.

-Placed 31st at World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

-Placed 25th at World Cup in Lisbon, Portugal.

-Placed 26th at World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

-Placed 32nd at World Cup in Bogota, Columbia.

-Named to the US National Team.

-Moved up to a career-high 51st on the World Ranking List

-Ranked 3rd overall Individual Epee in the United States.

1999


-3rd Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Palm Springs, California.

-Finished 10th at Pan-American Games in Winnepeg, Canada

-Ranked 2nd overall Individual Epee in the United States.

-Named to the US National Team.

-Named to the US World Championship Team

-Named to the US Pan-American Games Team

-Placed 3rd at the United States National Championships South Bend, Indiana.

-2nd Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Louisville, Kentucky

-Placed 26th at World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria

-Placed 16th at World Cup in Glasgow, Scotland

-Placed 15th at World Cup in Montreal, Canada

1998


-Ranked 3rd overall Individual Epee in the United States.

-Named to the US National Team.

-Named to the US World Championship Team.

-Placed 5th at the French National Circuit Competition, Strasbourg

-3rd Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, South Bend, Indiana.

-7th Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Palm Springs, California.

-2nd Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

-Placed 31st at World Cup in Sydney, Australia

1997


-Ranked 2nd overall Individual Epee in the United States.

-Named to the US National Team.

-Named to the US World Championship Team

-Named to the US World University Games Team

-First Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Louisville, Kentucky.

-Ranked 70th in the World Cup standings

-Placed 22nd at World Cup in Poitiers, France.

-Placed 29th at World Cup in Legnano, Italy.

-Placed 23rd at World Cup in Innsbruck, Austria.

-3rd Place Team Epee (RCF) at the Paris Championships.

-5th Place Open Team Epee (Salle Santelli/New Jersey) at the USFA National Championships.

1996


-Ranked 5th overall Individual Epee in the United States.

-10th Place Division 1 Individual Epee at the U.S. Fencing Association National Championships.

-8th Place Individual Epee at the Canadian National Circuit Competition, Montreal, Quebec

-8th Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Palm Springs, California.

-5th Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Rockford, Illinois.

-5th Place Open Team Epee (Salle Santelli/New Jersey) at the USFA National Championships.

1995



-Selected to the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival.

-First American to the fence epee at the French National Championships.

-5th Place Team Epee (The Racing Club de France) at the French National Championships.

-7th Place Individual Epee at the Paris Championships.

-2nd Place Team Epee (RCF) at the Paris Championships.

1994


-Selected to the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival.

-1st Place Open Team Epee (SSNJ) at the USFA National Championships.

-10th Place Individual Epee at the North American National Circuit Competition, Detroit.

-3rd Place Team Epee (RCF) at the Paris Championships.

1993


-4th Place Individual Epee at the USFA New Jersey Divisional Championships.

-6th Place Individual Epee NCAA Northeast Regional Championships.

-Selected to the NCAA National Championships.

-1st Place Team Epee (New York University) at the University Athletic Association Championship.

-UAA Athlete of the Week.

1992


-5th Place Individual Epee at the USFA New Jersey Divisional Championships.

-1st Place Team Epee (SSNJ) in the USFA New Jersey Divisional Championships.

-15-0 Individual Epee record as an NYU freshman.

1987


-4th Place Under-19 Individual Epee in the USFA National Championships.

-2nd Place Under-17 Individual Epee in the USFA Junior Olympics (25-2 record)

-1st Place Under-19 Individual Epee in the USFA New Jersey Divisional Championships.

-1st Place Team Epee (SSNJ) in the USFA New Jersey Divisional Championships.

1983


-Took first fencing lesson from Giorgio Santelli, Former U.S. Olympic Fencing Team coach and 1920 Olympic Gold Medal Winner.


EDUCATION: B.A., New York University, 1993.
C.E.C., IPEC, 2007.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS: United States Fencing Association.
Federation Internationale d'Escrime.
International Coaching Federation
Institute for Professional Empowerment Coaching

SPONSORS: PowerBar, Soudet (a French fencing equipment supplier).