NCAA Fencing Champion & Paris Olympian Elizabeth Tartakovsky on Women's Saber Fencing, Harvard & Finding Joy Again | Direct Elimination Ep. 32

Paris Olympian Elizabeth Tartakovsky opens up about women's saber fencing, chasing the Olympics, and what comes after the dream.The Fencing Podcast of All Fencing Podcasts.In this episode, you'll discover:• How Elizabeth Tartakovsky went from getting kicked out of ballet to becoming a Paris Olympian in women's saber fencing• The mental game of defending your best-ever season when Olympic qualification is on the line• What legendary coach Yury Gelman taught her that had nothing to do with fencing technique• Why elite fencers quit after college — and what the sport loses when they doElizabeth Tartakovsky is a Paris 2024 Olympian, two-time World Cup bronze medalist, Pan American champion, and NCAA individual champion who fenced for Harvard University under coach Yury Gelman, one of the most respected names in saber fencing.What's your biggest mental challenge in fencing — the competition itself, the training grind, or staying motivated after a big result? Drop it in the comments below.⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00:00 Intro00:00:26 Introduction & Guest Credentials00:02:02 Origin Story: How Liz Found Fencing00:05:21 The 'All In' Moment: Going Competitive00:08:27 Peaks and Valleys: Navigating Plateaus00:12:33 The Paris Olympic Journey00:14:42 Career Highlights & Favorite Memories00:18:24 Life After Paris: Taking a Break & Coming Back00:23:32 The Dropout Problem: Fencing After College00:27:25 Coaching Legend Yury Gelman: Behind the Curtain00:33:51 Harvard Fencing & the Power of Team00:37:01 New Jersey State Champion & Fencing's Small World00:40:46 Upcoming Clinic with Maya Chamberlain & Nora Burke00:43:29 One Light Answers: Rapid Fire Round00:45:40 Flunge Tips, Tennis & Closing Fun00:51:54 Closing Remarks & Where to Find Liz💬 BEST QUOTES"I loved being unique and kind of telling my friends, you know what I did?""I think I learned just from a few painful losses. It was it was kind of a turning point early on that, like, okay, this is a serious thing. If I want to continue, I actually have to put in the work, and want it for myself.""The year before Paris was my best season ever. I surpassed every goal. I didn't know I'd ever be ranked in the top 16 in the world.""It's a game at the end of the day. And I think this is the most amount of kind of play I've had in the sport in a long time."Theme song written and performed by Colin Campbell🔗 CONNECT WITH COLIN📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/campbelltunes/?hl=enThank 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/