Direct Elimination Podcast
The Fencing Podcast of All Fencing Podcasts.
Hosted by Ari Simmons and Stephen Ewart, two elite U.S. fencers chasing Olympic dreams, Direct Elimination goes beyond the strip to uncover the stories, ups and downs that shape athletes. Each episode brings you conversations with fencers, Olympians, and sports leaders who share the mental battles, personal growth, and cultural shifts behind their journeys.
This isn’t just a fencing podcast. It’s about resilience, mindset, and purpose. Whether you’re an athlete, a fan of Olympic sports, or simply someone chasing excellence in life, you’ll find stories here that resonate.
🎙️ Topics we explore:
The mindset of world-class athletes
Failure, resilience, and comeback stories
NCAA & Olympic fencing insights
The role of social media, culture, and community in sports
Why athletes do what they do — and what keeps them fighting
📌 Subscribe for episodes that deliver real talk, laughs, and lessons — straight from the fencing strip to your headphones.
Direct Elimination Podcast
Maia Chamberlain on Going All-In, Mindset & the Being Yourself | Direct Elimination Ep. 10
🎙️ EPISODE 10 – MAIA CHAMBERLAIN INTERVIEW
In this episode of Direct Elimination, hosts Ari Simmons and Stephen Ewart sit down with Maia Chamberlain — Olympian, U.S. Women’s Sabre National Team member, National and Pan-American Champion, and the first Prieur athlete outside of the hosts to appear on the podcast.
Maia shares what it means to go all-in — in competition, training, and life. She opens up about the moments that shaped her journey from a kid fencing in the Bay Area to competing on the world stage, and what drives her forward now.
You’ll hear:
- How she started fencing and what hooked her at nine years old
- The “all-in” moment that changed everything
- The Why Behind the Win: what sparked the fire then and what fuels it today
- Her evolving five-year dream — from chasing Tokyo 2020 to building long-term purpose
- Training under Yury Gelman, one of fencing’s most respected coaches
- One Light Answers: rapid-fire questions and raw honesty
- A special Prieur partnership reflection, celebrating collaboration and community
Maia’s story captures what Direct Elimination is all about — the mindset, sacrifice, and belief it takes to chase excellence.
⏱ Timestamps
00:04:27 – Maia's Origin story
00:06:05 – Early coaching that built a foundation
00:08:07 – All-in moment
00:14:37 – The Why Behind the Win: “what’s your why?”
00:31:43 – Five-year dream: past vs future (Tokyo → what’s next)
00:53:59 – Sponsor reflection: unconditional support & community (Prieur)
01:02:28 – One-Light Answers
01:09:19 – Closing remarks
đź’¬ Key Quotes
- “I was already fighting neighbors with sticks, so this was a fun new thing to do over the summer.”
- “I am currently all in.”
- “To be good at anything, you need 80% competence, and 20% delulu -- delusion"
Thank you for listening!
đź”— Connect with Us
🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple: https://link.me/directeliminationpodcast
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directeliminationpodcast/
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@directeliminationpodcast
đź“ş Subscribe for more episodes: youtube.com/@directeliminationpodcast
