Looking Under the Hood: Prepping Olympic and Paralympic Fencers

What does it take for an athlete to make it to the Paralympic or Olympic games?In our latest LiveWell Podcast episode, we explore the world of elite athleticism through the sport of fencing. As it turns out, training to compete in the most important sporting event of your life takes a lot more than simply achieving peak physical performance. Which is where Dr. Derek Plonka comes in. Physical therapist, acupuncturist, competitive fencer, and volunteer medical staff member for USA Fencing, Dr. Plonka provides medical care that supports these high-level athletes as they work to achieve their dreams.He sits down with us to detail the ins and outs of the fast-paced sport and the logistical realities of providing medical care at large scale national athletic events. We learn what it takes to get these fencers and parafencers to the 2028 Games physically, mentally, and emotionally. We also glean a number of holistic lessons on competition itself that are applicable to just about everyone.In this episode we discuss: Breaking down the target areas, movement speeds, and technical mechanics of foil, épée, and sabre fencing. How different personalities gravitate toward a specific fencing sword based on behavioral traits. How mindset, letting go of losses, and maintaining emotional equilibrium are the key for an athlete’s success. Why building a platform of physical self-sufficiency helps athletes achieve their goals for healing and succeeding. Resources Mentioned:World Fencing League: A global fencing organization providing contemporary, viewer-friendly professional fencing events (available on YouTube).OPC (Olympic and Paralympic Committee): The U.S. National Olympic and Paralympic Committee headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO.     Today’s podcast was brought to you by UCLA’s Semel Healthy Campus Initiatives Center. It really means a lot to our team when you rate and review LiveWell on your preferred listening platform. Thank you so much for supporting our storytelling. We also have links in the show notes on our website: https://healthy.ucla.edu/ If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: [email protected]  To stay up to date with our latest podcasts, make sure to follow us on Instagram @healthyucla