USA Fencing's national championships come to Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS -- USA Fencing's biggest event of the year is in Minneapolis.

"It's like swordfighting. It's really cool," said Tim Wakeham, a junior at Bloomington Jefferson High School.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Championships were set to be in Minnesota in 2020. Instead, our state's small but growing fencing community gets home field advantage this year.

"Most of the time, to go to these tournaments, we have to travel quite a way. And getting to sleep in my own bed is nice," said Paul Wakeham, Tim's identical twin brother. Both are competing in the event. 

"That relationship, it's so competitive," said Tim. "It's really good to have someone that I know is my level, that I know really well to compete with."

There are about 80 Minnesotan fencers competing in this massive event that has 4,500 people overall. That includes Olympian Eliza Stone.

"You know that it's the Olympics. And as soon as you fence that first touch, you're an Olympian," said Stone. "So that was full of meaning for me. I don't even know if I won it or lost it. But that was exciting."

Stone is the USA's top Sabre fencer. She and the rest of the national team head to Cairo, Egypt in just a few days for the World Championships. But first, she's balancing training camp with coaching the next generation.

"You have been helped for 10 years and now you get to help back. This is where the community of fencing comes in. And we build it together," said Stone.

"It's like, wow, I'm up with these people. They're competing in the same tournament I am," said Paul Wakeham.

They're helping the sport lunge forward.

"This was a tournament that I knew I could get into. That I could compete in, that I could be there with a bunch of people that I know, from this state," said Tim. "And represent Minnesota."