Anne Cebula on Olympic Dreams, NCAA Gold & Grit in Women’s Épée | Direct Elimination Ep. 5

🎙️ EPISODE 5 – ANNE CEBULA INTERVIEW
In this inspiring episode of Direct Elimination, hosts Ari Simmons and Stephen Ewart sit down with Anne Cebula — Olympian, NCAA Champion, and the first Barnard student-athlete ever to win an NCAA title in any sport.

Anne’s story is one of grit, resilience, and joy. Unlike many fencers who start at a young age, Anne didn’t pick up a blade until high school — yet within just five years she was competing internationally and representing Team USA at the highest level. Along the way, she made NCAA history and became a fan favorite in the fencing community for her authenticity, energy, and smile.

You’ll hear:

• How watching the 2008 Beijing Olympics (and Keeth Smart’s dramatic saber bout) sparked her passion for fencing.
• Why she waited years to start fencing — and how a free high school club opened the door.
• The uphill battle of limited resources and training on mayonnaise-stained gym floors.
• Her rapid rise: from Brooklyn Tech to Barnard to NCAA Champion.
• What it meant to become the first Barnard athlete ever to win an NCAA title.
• Her experiences on the U.S. National Team, World Cups, and World Championships.
• Learning from coaches Kornel Udvarhelyi and Sergey Danilov, and the importance of mentors like her PT and training partners.
• Balancing life as a fencer, student, Olympian, model, and young professional.
• Taking a step back after the Paris Olympics — and rediscovering her love for training and purpose.
• Why fencing is about more than medals: it’s about the process, the team behind the athlete, and the lifelong joy of growth.

🗣️ “It costs nothing to be an optimist.”
 🗣️ “From day one, my why was the Olympics — but really, I fell in love with the process.”

This is a story about chasing an improbable dream — and finding yourself along the way.

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro & sponsor shoutout
 02:00 – Why we started the podcast
 03:00 – Introducing Anne Cebula
 06:00 – Beijing 2008: the spark to fence
 10:00 – High school fencing at Brooklyn Tech
 15:00 – Rapid rise: first national teams
 20:00 – Transfer to Barnard & Columbia
 26:00 – Junior Worlds & learning from failure
 28:00 – NCAA Championships: making history
 34:00 – The “Why” behind the fight
 37:00 – Shoutouts to family, coaches & support team
 44:00 – Balancing fencing with modeling & work
 52:00 – Life after Paris Olympics
 59:00 – One Light Answers (rapid fire)
 1:03:00 – Closing thoughts & gratitude

💬 Key Quotes

• “My goal from the jump was the Olympics — before I even picked up a weapon.”
• “My style was horrendous, but it came from figuring it out on my own.”
• “Sometimes success isn’t about winning — it’s just about staying on the strip as long as you can.”
• “Coaches came into my life at the right time — and gave me the space to be myself.”
• “Fencing was never torture for me. It was joy.”

Thank you for listening!

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