We were lucky enough to recently catch up with Gerek Meinhardt of Olympic fencing fame, to discuss his history with fencing and his time at Notre Dame. Gerek was kind enough to answer some questions all the way from his apartment in Olympic Village. Check out Gerek on Twitter @GerekMeinhardt!
How did you get started in Fencing? The story of how I got into fencing actually isn't as exciting as one would hope! My lifelong fencing coach was actually a family friend before I started training with him; my parents signed me up for a new club he was opening up, The Massialas Foundation, when I was nine years old. I instantly fell in love with the sport and kept it up ever since.
What's the biggest misconception about Fencing? One of the biggest misconceptions about fencing is that it's what you see in the classic movies. Of course, there are movie and fencing history fanatics that do take up the sport for recreation and enjoyment of "sword-fighting" and "dueling", but at the elite level, fencing is very much an aggressive, intense, and extremely athletic sport. Just look up some of the World Championship and Olympic footage on Youtube!
What's the secret to being great at fencing? I fence foil, which is one of the three weapons (foil, epee, saber). They have different rules and different target areas, and because of how different they are, rarely do any fencers compete in more than one weapon (successfully) at the elite level. One of the secrets to being a good fencer in general is really similar to any sport - a passion and commitment to your sport and your goals within the sport. For me, going in to train is something I enjoy, and I have fun every time I am at practice, no matter how tired I am. This allows me the ability to improve, because it isn't a task or chore to me. Being dedicated to your sport makes you want to learn from every match, no matter who you're facing, and I think that applies to every sport. Fencing is a great sport because there are always things to work on, even if you're the Olympic champion. Competitors are always adapting to how you fence and specific tendencies that you have by watching video on you, so you have to be aware of this and put just as much work in to keep everyone targeting you at bay.
What led to your choosing Notre Dame? Aside from the endless list of benefits that we all know Notre Dame to have (beautiful campus, incredibly strong academics, great support system), Notre Dame also has one of the best fencing programs in the country. I wanted to attend a university that had a strong academic program, since I do not plan on making a professional career out of fencing, but I also wanted to be at a school that would allow for me to continue improving over the course of my college career. Notre Dame, with its great coaching staff, facilities, and all around commitment to its athletes, was an obvious choice for me. I have loved my time at Notre Dame, the lifelong friends I've made, and the whole atmosphere and environment that has become a part of me throughout my college experience thus far at Notre Dame.
Gerek and Fellow ND Olympians on the Field at Half Time
What's been your biggest success at ND? I would have to say that my biggest success at Notre Dame has been recovering from a string of three knee surgeries since I enrolled back in 2008. I am so thankful for the training staff at Notre Dame for helping me in my recovery and physical training, my coaches for being patient and ever-supportive of me, and of course my friends, family, and teammates (who I can consider as both friends and family) who were with me every step of the way. Without their support, I would not have been able to achieve my greatest result to date, which was winning the bronze medal at the Senior World Championships in the Fall of my 2010 school-year at Notre Dame. It is the only medal in Team USA's history won in my event at the Senior World Championships.
We hear a lot about the challenges of being a student-athlete at ND, and how hard it is to balance things. Being a student-athlete at ND, AND an Olympian must be insanely tough. How do you manage it? My ability to juggle academics with my vigorous national, international, and NCAA competitions would probably be a close second in the "my biggest success at Notre Dame" category. Throughout the season, there are four national competitions and around ten international competitions, most of which are in Europe or Asia. Two of these, the Pan American Championships and World Championships typically span a week-and-a-half. Of course, I am not able to attend every tournament given conflicts between inflexible exam schedules and NCAA events, but I do have to attend the greater majority of them to maintain my ranking in the United States and the World. I can honestly say that without my parents' constant lessons in self-discipline and time management growing up, I would have crumbled under the pressure and work load. By being organized and meticulously planning out my schedule, I am usually able to complete my schoolwork and submit it to Professor's before I leave for trips. While on the trips, there is of course work that I have to do at the hotel when I am not competing, to keep on track with the lessons that are being taught while I'm thousands of miles away, and to study for exams that I'll have to take as soon as I get back. Thankfully most of my Professors are willing to work with me and understand that I am still committed to the course, although often traveling.
USC is ND's rival in Football. Michigan is the Enemy. Who is ND's rival in Fencing? Who is the Enemy? In recent NCAA fencing history, the powerhouses have been "the" Ohio State, Notre Dame (GO IRISH), and Penn State. The past few years, St. Johns and Princeton have also been successful at NCAA Championships. Ohio State is probably the historic rival given that they are in the same Midwest Conference as us and we compete against them several times throughout the year. However, in my term at Notre Dame, I would say that Penn State is our biggest "enemy" given that they won NCAA's both my freshman and sophomore years. We took the Championship my Junior year though, and I plan on being a part of another NCAA Championship team this coming year! Go Irish. Beat Nittany Lions! And Ohio State, Princeton, St. John's, and every other team.
What do Olympians from other countries know about/think about Notre Dame? Is the school on the radar in the International Olympians world? Or is it only all about the Country? This Olympics alone, the US Fencing team has two former and three current/incoming Notre Dame students. One of the graduates is the reigning two-time Olympic Gold medalist, Mariel Zagunis. Because of the strong presence of Notre Dame athletes on the National team, in addition to several great international fencers that Notre Dame has as well, Notre Dame is definitely on the radar of the International fencing scene.
Gerek Shows off his Sweet USA Mask
How have ND fans been in supporting your quest for an Olympic medal? What can fans do to show their support? ND fans have been amazing as I've trained and prepared for this Olympics. There's nothing better than being at a World Cup in a random European country when a Notre Dame fan comes up to me and wish me good luck. The Notre Dame family is huge, and I am fortunate to be a part of such a large, supportive community. I enjoy every tweet from ND fans showing their support, and each one means a lot to me as I prepare for my event in the coming weeks.
Thanks Gerek! Best of luck, Gerek! Let's get that Gold!
Source: http://www.herloyalsons.com/blog/2012/07/24/olympics-interview-gerek/
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