When and where did you begin this sport?

She began fencing at age 11.

Why this sport?

She tried a number of sports, including dancing and taekwondo, before finding fencing. "I was interested in taekwondo and so I did it all the way until I was age 11 and I got my black belt. But then my mother still wanted me to dance and in between she made me do ice skating. I liked it, but I was not so good at it. And then my father stepped in and said, 'Why don't you try fencing?' Fencing is like the ballet of sports, it is very elegant and I really, really liked it."

Club / Team

Vasas SC: Budapest, HUN

Name of coach

Peter Halla [club]

When and where did you begin this sport?

She began fencing at age six after seeing her father fence at a local competition. "My siblings and I thought the sport was strange and interesting-appearing, so my dad started teaching us the basics in our empty dining room and taking us to a club twice a week that was 1.5 hours away from where we lived."

Why this sport?

She and her brother and sister followed their father, Steve Kiefer, into the sport. "Growing up my dad decided that he wanted to take up fencing again. He hadn't picked up a foil in 10 or 15 years, and me and my siblings watched him compete at a local tournament. Then he asked if we wanted to try it, and we said yes. Twenty years later I'm still doing it."

When and where did you begin this sport?

He began fencing at age seven.

Why this sport?

"My father is a fencing coach and he introduced the sport to me when I was about seven. I love this sport more than anything, my life revolves around fencing. There is no better feeling than overplaying my opponent and scoring a nice touch."

When and where did you begin this sport?

She took up the sport at age eight and began competing in 2010.

Why this sport?

She followed her sister into the sport.

When and where did you begin this sport?

He began fencing at age 13.

Why this sport?

"This sport is the sport of my family. My father, my brother - they were all engaged in fencing. And I also really wanted to be on a par with them. At first I played football, but once I happened to be at the Georgian fencing championship, and I liked what my brother and father did. It was love at first sight."