Lee Keifer is an American foil fencer who won the United States’ first fencing medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Keifer’s victory over Inna Deriglazova made her the first American fencer to win gold in the individual foil competition. The three-time Olympian’s achievements in foil fencing illustrate her mastery of her sport.
Keifer is a four-time NCAA champion and a nine-time individual Pan American champion. Her husband, Gerek Meinhardt, a four-time Olympian, was one of the first to congratulate Keifer on his achievement. Meinhardt participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics as the youngest US Olympic fencer of all time. She won team bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Contents
- 1 Keifer is of Filipino-Asian descent and Gerek has Asian-American roots.
- 2 Keifer and Gerek began dating in 2012 and got married on September 1, 2019.
- 3 Lee’s father, a former captain of the Duke University fencing team, introduced his three sons to fencing.
- 4 Meinhardt broke several records in his climb up the fencing ladder
- 5 Keifer and Gerek trained in Keifer’s parents’ basement during the coronavirus pandemic
Keifer is of Filipino-Asian descent and Gerek has Asian-American roots.
Lee Keifer was born on June 15, 1994 in Cleveland, Ohio. Keifer and his two brothers, Alex and Axel, were raised in Lexington, Kentucky, by Steven and Teresa Keifer. Steven is a neurosurgeon and Teresa is a psychiatrist.
Keifer is of Filipino-American descent. She derives her Filipino heritage from her mother, Teresa.
Gerek Meinhardt was born on July 27, 1990 in San Francisco, California, the son of Kurt and Jane Meinhardt. He is of Asian-American descent and grew up with an older sister named Katie.
Keifer and Gerek began dating in 2012 and got married on September 1, 2019.
Keifer first saw Gerek when he was representing Team USA at the Beijing Olympics. “In fact, I remember pulling out my computer in the middle of the night and watching my now-husband fencing in Beijing 2008. [when I was 14]said read nbc.
“I didn’t know him at the time or even contemplate being an Olympian one day.” Through fencing, Lee and Gerek met and began dating in January 2012.
Gerek proposed to Keifer in January 2018. A year after the engagement, Gerek posted a selfie of the couple, expressing his excitement about their upcoming wedding in the caption. “I am very lucky and proud to be her fiancé and future husband this September.” he wrote.
Keifer and Gerek got married on September 1, 2019 in Versailles, Kentucky. Gerek wrote on Instagram that it was the best day of her life. “Thank you to our parents, friends and family who made it the perfect weekend for my stunning wife and I,” she added.
Lee described it as “the most amazing day.” He also thanked everyone who made the couple’s dream wedding come true.
Keifer and Gerek are approaching a decade together, their bond growing stronger every day. “Where is my husband?” Lee asked realizing the reality of his victory in Tokyo. Meinhardt was in her place cheering her on as she won a well-deserved gold. “Basically, he felt like he was playing me,” Keifer said later.
He later wrote on Twitter.:: “My wife just made my dream #Olympics @leetothekeifer GOLD. Words cannot describe how much I wanted this, how hard she worked, or how proud I am of her. Thank you ALL for the amazing words of support. We feel each one of them. @TeamUSA @USAFencing STORY!!!”
Lee’s father, a former captain of the Duke University fencing team, introduced his three sons to fencing.
AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
Steve Keifer captained the Duke University fencing team in the 1980s. His interest in the sport was reignited when Keifer was about seven years old. Lee and his siblings considered fencing “weird and interesting.”
They learned the basics at his restaurant before Steve enrolled them in a fencing club. “It started as a family activity, which we enjoyed and dreaded depending on the day, and it grew into something we were good at, gave us focus, helped us make friends and allowed us to see new places,” Lee said. nbc.
Of the three sons, Lee was noted for his fierce competitiveness. She made her better, but also got her into some run-ins with her parents. “My dad pushed me from the start,” Keifer said after his win. “We used to butt heads all the time because we are both very competitive and demand excellence, but here we are. Thanks Dad.”
Lee’s parents hired renowned fencing coach Amgad Khazbak to improve the boys’ fencing skills. “His style and his personality really clicked from a young age,” Lee said. southern life. Amgad’s training made the brothers champions.
Alex became a national fencing champion and Axel won multiple world championships. In 2017, Lee became the first American fencer to top the world fencing rankings. Alex and Axel walked away from the sport, but Lee moved on and is now an Olympic gold medalist. she talked to southern life on his progression in the sport:
“There’s always room to learn and grow, so I think that’s why I keep doing it. It’s always challenging and interesting, whether it’s a brain game, studying videos of people, or even physically. It always evolves, and I think that’s a very special part.”
Meinhardt broke several records in his climb up the fencing ladder
Derek was introduced to fencing through a program run by Olympian Gregg Massialas. He also took piano lessons from Greg’s wife, Vivian.
At the age of 10 he began to participate in national fencing competitions. Six years later, he became the youngest national men’s foil champion. His efforts earned him a spot on the US fencing team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Derek was the youngest fencer at the Olympic Games and the youngest US Olympic fencer ever. Meinhardt joined the University of Notre Dame in 2009 on a full fencing scholarship.
Meinhardt’s achievements include team gold at the 2019 World Championships in Budapest, individual gold at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, and team bronze at the Rio Olympics. Through a February 2020 Instagram post, Lee celebrated Gerek’s longevity in the sport. She wrote:
“12 years after the Beijing Olympics, three knee surgeries, a career change, and a new wife, Gerek is heading to his fourth Olympics! Very proud, everyone knows I have tears in my eyes.”
Gerek missed out on a Tokyo medal in the men’s singles foil after falling to Vladislav Mylnikov. His attention is now focused on the team competition. He posted the following message on Twitter and Instagram:
“I wanted everyone to know that I’m doing well and I appreciate the encouragement. I just didn’t feel it on the strip. Excited to cheer on @nick_itkin and get ready for the team.”
The world came to a standstill due to the coronavirus days before Lee’s final qualification for the Tokyo Olympics. In response, Keifer and Gerek set up a fencing arena in the basement of Lee’s parents’ house for further training. Lee spoke with southern life on the couple’s teamwork:
“We are very codependent, especially when it comes to fencing, because we need each other’s skills to train and improve. We both know each other’s areas where we want to improve, so there was a lot of training and motivation to help us get through the tough days.”
Lee and Gerek are studying medicine at the University of Kentucky. The shutdown of 2020 disrupted Lee’s plans, but also gave her the first break from her in 20 years. Keifer spoke with southern lifeg about the meaning of 2020:
“In a way it ended up being a bit rejuvenating because I’ve been going, going, going, for almost 20 years of fencing. And it was like my first real break. At this moment I feel very grateful to have had that time to reflect on my path in life and continue here competing and doing what I love.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn