Anne Cebula on Olympic Dreams, NCAA Gold & Grit in Women’s Épée | Direct Elimination Ep. 5

🎙️ EPISODE 5 – ANNE CEBULA INTERVIEW In this inspiring episode of Direct Elimination, hosts Ari Simmons and Stephen Ewart sit down with Anne Cebula — Olympian, NCAA Champion, and the first Barnard student-athlete ever to win an NCAA title in any sport.Anne’s story is one of grit, resilience, and joy. Unlike many fencers who start at a young age, Anne didn’t pick up a blade until high school — yet within just five years she was competing internationally and representing Team USA at the highest level. Along the way, she made NCAA history and became a fan favorite in the fencing community for her authenticity, energy, and smile.You’ll hear:How watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics (and Keeth Smart’s dramatic saber bout) sparked her passion for fencing.Why she waited years to start fencing — and how a free high school club opened the door.The uphill battle of limited resources and training on mayonnaise-stained gym floors.Her rapid rise: from Brooklyn Tech to Barnard to NCAA Champion.What it meant to become the first Barnard athlete ever to win an NCAA title.Her experiences on the U.S. National Team, World Cups, and World Championships.Learning from coaches Kornel Udvarhelyi and Sergey Danilov, and the importance of mentors like her PT and training partners.Balancing life as a fencer, student, Olympian, model, and young professional.Taking a step back after the Paris Olympics — and rediscovering her love for training and purpose.Why fencing is about more than medals: it’s about the process, the team behind the athlete, and the lifelong joy of growth.🗣️ “It costs nothing to be an optimist.” 🗣️ “From day one, my why was the Olympics — but really, I fell in love with the process.”This is a story about chasing an improbable dream — and finding yourself along the way.⏱ Timestamps00:00 – Intro & sponsor shoutout 02:00 – Why we started the podcast 03:00 – Introducing Anne Cebula 06:00 – Beijing 2008: the spark to fence 10:00 – High school fencing at Brooklyn Tech 15:00 – Rapid rise: first national teams 20:00 – Transfer to Barnard & Columbia 26:00 – Junior Worlds & learning from failure 28:00 – NCAA Championships: making history 34:00 – The “Why” behind the fight 37:00 – Shoutouts to family, coaches & support team 44:00 – Balancing fencing with modeling & work 52:00 – Life after Paris Olympics 59:00 – One Light Answers (rapid fire) 1:03:00 – Closing thoughts & gratitude💬 Key Quotes“My goal from the jump was the Olympics — before I even picked up a weapon.”“My style was horrendous, but it came from figuring it out on my own.”“Sometimes success isn’t about winning — it’s just about staying on the strip as long as you can.”“Coaches came into my life at the right time — and gave me the space to be myself.”“Fencing was never torture for me. It was joy.”Thank you for listening!🔗 Check out FencR🌐: https://www.fencr.app/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fencr.app🔗 Connect with Us🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple: https://link.me/directelimination📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directelimination/🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@directeliminationpodcast📺 Subscribe for more episodes: youtube.com/@DirectElimination🔗 Prieur USA🌐: https://www.prieurusa.com/📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prieur_usa/