Mariel Zagunis and Ryan Estep will compete again for fund raising: Fencing News
The Sabre fencers, Mariel Zagunis and Ryan Estep, will compete again for fund raising on May 20, at Oregon Convention Centre in Portland. An exhibition regarded as a tribute to the equipment of passed fencers will also be conducted. The Peter Westbrook Fencing
Foundation will donate the equipment for wheelchair fencing. The exhibition will be free and open to the public.
The two-time Olympic Champion, Zagunis, and 2010 Senior Wheelchair Fencing World Team member, Estep, have already attended the 'Blades for Blades' event at the same place on April 24. They raised more than US$2000 for United States Wheelchair Fencing Team
in that event. The purpose of 'Blades for Blades' exhibition was to raise the fund and to expose the community to the Paralympic games including Wheelchair Fencing.
It happened for the first time in Zagunis’ life that she fenced on a wheelchair. The fans attended the exhibition and contributed in the fund. The pro Sabre blades of Zagunis were also sold in that event. The pieces of fencing and Olympic memorabilia were
bid in the event. The Fencing equipment was donated by the Olympic Champion Zagunis herself, Leon Paul, ProPrintwear and FencingPhotos.com.
Zagunis and Estep fenced in a series of exhibition wheelchair fencing bouts in Foil and Sabre. Zagunis fenced first time from wheelchair. Zagunis said that she had never tried the fencing on wheelchair. But she always heard that to fence at wheelchair was
very difficult. She said that fencers had to use more power to fence on wheelchair. She further stated that she was good enough to gain at least few touches against Estep.
There was a huge crowd of spectators to watch the Wheelchair Fencing by the Olympic Champion, Zagunis. Two five-touch bouts were played in Foil and two five-touch bouts were played in Sabre. Both categories of weapons were played followed series. Sean Shumate,
a Paralympian at Athens, served as referee and emcee for that competition.
Paul and Zagunis continuously assisted the US Wheelchair Fencing Team throughout the month of April. All the sales of Zagunis’ blades were also bestowed to the Wheelchair Team.
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