More than 2,000 fencers, including some 20 Olympians and Paralympians from Team USA, will descend on Kansas City this weekend for the 2025 North American Cup.
The national fencing competition takes place Jan. 3-6 at the Kansas City Convention Center and includes women’s and men’s competition across four different categories.
“It's a great sport. We love it. It's a physically and mentally very challenging, but it's never boring," says Emilia Ivanova, the head coach of the Heartland Fencing Academy in Overland Park, Kansas. "It's always different decisions you have to make, different opponents, so a game of outsmarting each other.”
Ivanova manages 13 local athletes who will be competing for gold at the Cup, including Harrison McMillian. The teen says that fencing helped him break out of his shell.
"When I was younger, I was very shy, and my mom wanted me to get into sports," McMillian told KCUR's Up To Date. "So there was like a flyer in the news for fencing, so we got involved in it that way — I thought it looked like Star Wars with the swords."
McMillian, who is 13, will compete in the Cadet category. Additional categories include Division 1, Vet age and Parafencing, with competitor ages ranging from 10 to 87.
“Fencing is a sport that you can start in any age," Ivanova says.
The event is free and open to the public.
- Emilia Ivanova, head coach at the Heartland Fencing Academy
- Harrison McMillian, student at the Heartland Fencing Academy
