FEATURED FENCER September 2010: Iris Zimmerman

Iris Zimmerman's wedding on June 19th this year.

Iris Zimmerman grew up in Rochester, NY and attended high school at the School of the Arts in Rochester. Iris began fencing at the Rochester Fencing Centre (now Rochester Fencing Club) with Buckie Leach, who is now coaching at the Fencers Club in NYC. Felicia, Iris's only sibling, is also an accomplished fencer. From ages 3-6 years old she would watch Felicia at the fencing club. Buckie made Iris a small foil to hit the wall with as soon as she could walk. Felicia was always a big influence- "I wanted to do everything my big sister did and I always wanted to do it better. I think that still happens today...."

Iris's first tournament was when she was ten. She knew then that she wanted to fence. Her first tourney was at the cafeteria in East High School. She won that tournament and it fueled the fire. Iris won the 1995 Cadet World Champion. She was the first world champion for the United States. She was a three time National Champion, the 1997 Cadet World Champion, the 1999 Junior World Champion, and the 1999 Bronze at the Senior World Championships. She placed 11th individually and 4th in the team event in the 2000 Olympic games.

Iris continued fencing up through high school, and went on to attend Stanford University. "Fencing for Stanford was a great priviledge. It was very hard to balance school work with my fencing career so I took some time off for the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games." Although she trained for the 2008 games, she did not make it. In 2009, she and Felicia bought the Rochester Fencing Club. Of coaching, Iris writes, "I think that I understand what it takes to be a great coach because I have been surrounded by some great coaches and have had the opportunity to work with them. However, I have had to build the patience to teach. I am definitely an impatient person and I want to be able to see results. Sometimes, the results from the kids are not in the form of medals but getting an action correctly or just learning how to enjoy the sport more. Competing and coaching are two different sides of the same coin but they are very different from each other. I consider myself someone that is still learning and I enjoy the challenge. At the moment I am working with Adi Nott who is going for the 2012 games. This being my first Olympics that I will not be going for, I am truly glad to be on the other side. I hope I can help Adi to get to her very best level in fencing.""I got married in June, which was one of the best days of my life! :)"

Iris was married on June 19th, 2010. She met her future husband Kevin one night at a fencing class. "It was truly love at first site. After my first date with him I told all my friends that this is the man that I was going to marry. :) Interesting fact. Two weeks before I met Kevin I described my "ideal guy". the two requirements at the top of the list was that he had to have a passport (meaning he has seen more of the world than just Rochester) and he had to be stronger than me (I am a very strong girl!). Two weeks later I met Kevin-he had two passports (one German and one American) and he is a strong man and has competed at the world level for strongman. I should have also asked for "has a castle in the Alps" or something..."

Iris is part of several athletic boards in Rochester, including The Greater Rochester Amateur Athletic Foundation, which gives money to local elite athletes, and Monroe County Sports Commission which is responsible for bringing sporting events and tourism to Rochester and Monroe County. She loves to write, and wrote an athletics column for the Rochester Woman's Magazine. "I am all about giving back to the Rochester community in which I grew up," writes Iris, "I think that this city has a lot of potential and the people in this community are very supportive. I think it's important to utilize this short time you have on this earth to make a difference in people's lives."

Iris was elected President of the Stanford Fencing Association earlier this year and continues in her position. She will be starting the Executive MBA program at the University Rochester Simon Business School in the fall of 2010.

--thank you to Eva Jellison for contacting and interviewing Iris.