Paris Olympics: Representing 2 Homes, 33-Year-Old Fencer Excels in Not Just One, But Multiple Sports

En Gärde will be a staple on everyone’s lips once they hear about Margherita Guzzi Vincenti and her prodigious exploits. In the heart of Milan, this little girl decided to partake in the family tradition of fencing. Over a decade later, she is now warming up for her ultimate dream – The Paris Olympics! Margherita Guzzi Vincenti fell in love with the sport at the tender age of 7 and since then, she’s been growing leaps and bounds. The 33-year-old will now represent the United States of America in the French capital. 

A missed opportunity to qualify for Tokyo didn’t put a damper on her aspirations. The Epee National Champion grabbed the opportunity with both hands this year. Honing her expertise in multiple other sporting overtures, the wunderkind might just put fencing on the map. But when she isn’t dominating in the strip, Vincenti occasionally finds the time to follow her other passion, scuba diving. How did this Italian-born champion find her way to the States? What drives her, apart from pure champion spirit? Despite representing 2 homes, her heart beats as one – to give it her all for Team USA.

Vincenti isn’t on the fence regarding her neon sign Paris aspirations

Fencing started out as a family pastime for Vincenti, but this helped ignite her passion for the sport early on in her life. She decided to pursue this passion by relocating to the States. Her first spar was when she was attending Penn State. She clinched the Epee NCAA National title as a freshman in 2010, her first ever win. This ignited her dream of aiming for the coveted Olympic gold and she’s making sure she leaves no stone unturned in doing so. As reported by Fox6now, they even unveiled her journey spool by spool. She even quipped to them that –“I thought it was a very interesting sport because it’s an individual sport. I just love the competitiveness of the sport.”

Moving to Hartland, Wisconsin, was the next step for her. A pending visa process put her dreams at a standstill years ago, but securing a gold at the World Cup in Legnano in 2023 helped her punch a ticket to the French capital. She will be representing her second home as a part of the US Women’s Epee team, and will be vying for an Olympic gold in the Women’s Epee Individual. 

But there’s more to Margherita Guzzi Vincenti than just fencing. Beyond sparring, she enjoys scuba diving as well. “I’ve been passionate about scuba diving for several years, and it’s been an incredible journey exploring the underwater world in various seas around the world. Achieving the divemaster certification was a significant accomplishment for me. The underwater experience is truly captivating–the vibrant marine life, the weightlessness, and the feeling of being immersed in a completely different environment.” Both these activities have helped her find a unique balance in her life.

She finds the experience captivating, and expresses, “It’s not just a hobby; it’s a source of focus and relaxation that complements my fencing.” Vincenti believes dabbling in both these sports has helped shape her into a better athlete – both on the strip and beneath the waves. How will her Paris outing look like though?

The road ahead to Paris and beyond – a la the Vincenti way

Vincenti might be one step closer to achieving her Olympic dreams, but she has another dream that she has currently put on hold. Fencing has taken up a huge chunk of her time, but she also aspires to work as a cardiologist, eventually. In a conversation with BenEssere magazine back in 2020, Vincenti sheds some light on how she crossed paths with medicine.

She graduated from Penn State with a pre-medicine degree, and when she isn’t busy collecting accolades, she works in medical research. Vincenti’s passion for medicine, much like fencing, comes from her family. Her great-grandfather helped save lives in morbid conditions during World War 1. This, along with the inspiration for combining both her passions, made this career path an easy and obvious amalgam/way of life. 

Her journey from Milan to Wisconsin and now Paris has been a whirlwind but she’s in it for the long haul. Much like her cousin Epee gold medalist Franco Riccardi, Vincenti aims to add many more accolades to her kitty in the future. As she steps onto the grand stage to represent both her homes, the world will be watching with bated breath. Will Margherita Guzzi Vincenti’s Olympic dreams become a reality? The pendulum swings and so does her swashbucking epee.