In our 11th year, NYFA International Summer Fencing Camps proudly continued its tradition of bringing together top epee coaches and competitive fencers from around the world and across the US for a memorable summer filled with exceptional training, skill building, fun, and friendship.
Thanks to campers and parents for their wonderful feedback. Please share more reviews here. We look forward to seeing everyone next year!
Below are a few highlights of 2026. For many more videos and photos, visit us on Instagram @fencenyfa.
World-class training was made possible by our incredible coaching team: Misha Mokretsov (NYFA), Sergey Danilov (NYFA, St. John’s University), Yarik Ponomarenko (NYFA, NYU University), Anton Dutchak (NYFA), Kiril Krasnianskiy (NYFA), Romain Cannone (2020 Olympic and World Champion), Ahmed Abdallah (Duke), Slava Danilov (UPenn), Yury Mazur (Ukrainian Cadet National Team Coach), Zhanna Bikkina (Bida Fencing Academy and Stanford University ), Richard Robin (French coach), Camille Yettou (NYFA), Tim Svidnitsky (Toronto FC), Vlada Khavaldzhi (Rain City), Sorah Shin (Battle Born Fencing Club), Stefano Buratti (NYFA, Italian Coach), Andrii Orlikovskiy (Ukrainian Olympic Coach) and camp manager, Marina Temiryaev (NYFA).
We welcomed 350 athletes, including fencers from Canada, Australia, Ukraine, Mexico, Great Britain, China, Taiwan, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Germany, Peru, Turkey, Japan, Hong Kong, USA. There were over 100 A-rated fencers and more than 20 national team members, Tokyo Olympic Games Champion, Senior World Champion, Cadet World Champion, Junior World Champion 2026 in boys and girls, Junior World Cup Champions and World Championships medalists, Number 2 FIE Junior ranked fencer in girls, Number 3 FIE Junior ranked fencer in boys and NCAA champion!
Scarlett Lee (center) and parents (L-R) Wayne Li, Jennifer Yu pc NY Fencing Academy
From fencing tournaments in Milwaukee to Spain and Cairo, Syosset junior Scarlett Lee has traveled all over this year as she continues her fencing career.
Now she has one more stop coming up in April, a culmination of years of practices and countless bouts that has led Lee to represent Team USA as one of three epeeists on the Cadet Under-17 national team. Lee felt numerous emotions upon hearing that she’d be heading to Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro to compete in the Cadet World Championships from April 1-9.
“I was more calm than excited, I don’t know why,” Lee said. “I know I’m supposed to be really, really happy, but I was really calm and relieved . . . It feels like nothing happened, like it’s a normal day.”
Lee, a Princeton commit who competes for Port Washington’s New York Fencing Academy, will be joined on the epee team with Regina Lee of California and Massachusetts’ Natalya Cafasso. Lee does not participate with Syosset’s varsity team due to the conflicting schedule between private competition and varsity.
Lee qualified through a point system built through her strong performances at numerous events. That includes a top-8 finish among 243 epeeists at Summer Nationals in July and top-16 finishes at the Junior World Cups in December and January among 237 and 211 epeeists in Burgos, Spain, and Cairo, Egypt, respectively.
She also took gold at October’s North American Cup and January’s Junior Olympics, competing among 176 and 224 epeeists, respectively.
“We asked Scarlett to go to multiple Junior World Cups, which are [up to 20 years old],” New York Fencing Academy coach Sergey Danilov said. “Those points helped her a lot to qualify. She stuck with the process, and it’s one of the most amazing things to watch.”
Placing sixth at North American Cup on Feb. 13 among 176 epeeists provided Lee enough points to secure the final spot on the cadet national team, a result she didn’t think was possible despite encouragement from her sister and coaches.
“Three years ago, I didn’t even know about this thing,” Lee said. “With the help from my coaches, my family and friends, I was able to get here and I’m really proud of myself, too.”
Danilov, who is joined by fellow coaches in Michael and Misha Mokretsov of New York Fencing Academy, praised Lee’s dedication to improving, culminating with a spot on the national team.
“One thing I see in Scarlett is how much passion and how much she likes the process itself,” Danilov said. “She’s the one who is always coming after [practices] with questions. I don’t think she would ever give up. If you have that, you can achieve whatever goals you have in your life, not just in fencing.”
That was a sentiment echoed by Lee, who can now look back on all the miles she’s traveled and know for certain the time was well spent. It’s also what she wants to share with young fencers who dream of representing their country on the strip.
“Although being in this spot is really important, the process is what makes you stronger, mentally and physically,” Lee said. “So, trust the process.”
Before it was something that coaches and sports psychologists floated my way, visualization was a huge part of my life. I didn’t know there was an official term for it when I was younger, but I practiced it often. The night before a big test day at school, I would fall asleep with the textbook near my pillow (I had a bad habit of cramming); despite drifting into unconsciousness, my mind was humming. I was picturing where I was going to sit in class, which pencil I would use, and how I would work through each individual question, to a point that when I woke up the next morning for test day, my nerves had melted into quiet anticipation.
This is all to say that as funny as it sounds, I visualized my time at the Olympics long before I stepped on the strip. Everything had a haze of familiarity. I had never physically set foot inside the Grand Palais before July 2024, yet I had been there more than a thousand times in my head. Every possible iteration became more detailed. What had started out as just a moment on the strip (the rush of a lunge), eventually turned into longer sequences. Sitting in the call room, staring at the monitor. My sneakers gripping the floor as I walked from the carpet of the stage onto the strip. The wall of the crowd in my periphery, alive and breathing as it rippled with people.
I distinctly remember that when I met Sergey, even though it was the first time I had spoken to him, he sounded familiar. I realized afterwards it was because he was one of the missing pieces.
I don’t know if he practiced visualization himself, but when I told him I wanted to go to the Olympics, he approached the idea with an air of seriousness that comes with a well-seasoned veteran – despite never having been himself. The confidence was a quiet one: not arrogance, but rather reverence for the massive task he voluntarily committed himself to. He dove into researching optimal results timing for qualification, checked in with my physical trainer, monitored my practice log (I remember the spreadsheet growing as the months went by), amongst other unpaid tasks. When recommending him to others, I would joke that he did everything he could aside from physically hooking onto the strip and fencing in my place.
I actually dreaded competitions, especially towards the end, where it felt like every single result (and every single touch) held an insurmountable amount of weight. This is why one of my fondest memories in the sport wasn’t spent collecting precious points in venues in faraway places, but rather the years spent back home – the everyday process of quietly preparing for something so unknown, yet so familiar, alongside someone who had become an “Obi-Wan Kenobi”-esque figure.
It was the joy in running through the choreography of lessons, noticing the progression from week to week when we finally nailed a new action. It was the time spent gathering around the front desk for video analysis, still jet-lagged but trying to articulate what I felt on the strip vs what he saw clearly on video – the “aha!” moment in diagnosing mistakes and brainstorming corrections together. It was sprinting from the LIRR, equipment bag and all, to make it in time for open bouting, which he would always start with very specific drills sprinkled into the beginning (a new variation every week!) – preparing everyone’s unconscious memory for tense moments on the strip, but still allowing us to sink into a freeing practice.
Sergey took the process of preparing for the Olympics – a process that usually breaks people – and turned it into one of the most pleasantly focused periods of my life. That is a precious gift in a coach: the ability to take their love for the sport and guide their students to find their own. A coach like this unconditionally believes in you despite the stacked odds, and reminds you of why you decided to challenge them in the first place. Because the reality is (and he warned me this on the first day) you will probably not qualify, even if you “dot all your i’s and cross your t’s” so to speak… but man, isn’t the process fun?
I don’t know if NYFA students realize how lucky they are to be raised in an environment that not only pushes for excellence, but encourages one to seek joy – because at the highest level, that’s what makes the difference.
Lastly, I would like to wholeheartedly thank Misha for spearheading such an exceptional coaching staff. I look forward to seeing what champions come out of the club in the coming years.
Scarlett Lee (center) with Coaches (L-R) Sergey Danilov, Misha Mokretsov pc: NY Fencing Academy.
Scarlett Lee, a promising young fencer from New York Fencing Academy and a junior at Syosset High School on Long Island, has had an extraordinary season that has established her among the nation’s elite in her sport.
On February 13, Lee secured a top 8 medal at the North American Cup, earning her a coveted spot on the Cadet (under 17) US National Team. Her impressive achievements this season include winning the Cadet National Championship and the Junior National Championship, placing in the top 8 at the Division 1 National Championship, and achieving several top 16 finishes at Junior World Cups. These accomplishments collectively qualified her as one of the top three fencers in the country, a remarkable feat that highlights her dedication and skill.
Looking ahead, Lee will represent the United States at the Cadet World Championship, scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from April 1 to 9. This international competition will be a significant milestone in her fencing career.
Lee excels not only on the fencing strip but also in her academic pursuits. Demonstrating remarkable dedication and discipline, she has secured her commitment to Princeton University, balancing her athletic ambitions with a strong focus on education. Her success reflects a well-rounded excellence that promises great achievements both in sport and education.
“We extend our best wishes to Scarlett, her family, and the entire New York Fencing Academy team for continued success and a strong showing at the World Championship,” says her coach, Sergey Danilov. “Their hard work and commitment exemplify the spirit of excellence in American fencing.”
New York Fencing Academy (NYFA) was founded in 2010 in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY by owner and head coach Michael Mokretsov. In 2018, NYFA opened its second location in Port Washington, Long Island, NY, with head coach and co-owner Sergey Danilov. In 2025, NYFA expanded with a third location in Downtown Brooklyn. NYFA is a center for excellence in epee, with one of the strongest competitive epee programs in the country. NYFA has produced Olympic, World, and National Champions, and has members on the USA, French, and Greek national teams. NYFA provides private lessons, group classes, after-school programs, and camps for students of all ages and all levels, beginners to advanced. Visit www.fencenyfa.com for more info.
Scarlett Lee, a promising young fencer from New York Fencing Academy and a junior at Syosset High School on Long Island, has had an extraordinary season that has established her among the nation’s elite in her sport.
On February 13, Lee secured a top 8 medal at the North American Cup, earning her a coveted spot on the Cadet (under 17) US National Team. Her impressive achievements this season include winning the Cadet National Championship and the Junior National Championship, placing in the top 8 at the Division 1 National Championship, and achieving several top 16 finishes at Junior World Cups. These accomplishments collectively qualified her as one of the top three fencers in the country, a remarkable feat that highlights her dedication and skill.
Looking ahead, Lee will represent the United States at the Cadet World Championship, scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from April 1 to 9. This international competition will be a significant milestone in her fencing career.
Lee excels not only on the fencing strip but also in her academic pursuits. Demonstrating remarkable dedication and discipline, she has secured her commitment to Princeton University, balancing her athletic ambitions with a strong focus on education. Her success reflects a well-rounded excellence that promises great achievements both in sport and education.
“We extend our best wishes to Scarlett, her family, and the entire New York Fencing Academy team for continued success and a strong showing at the World Championship,” says her coach, Sergey Danilov. “Their hard work and commitment exemplify the spirit of excellence in American fencing.”
New York Fencing Academy (NYFA) was founded in 2010 in Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY by owner and head coach Michael Mokretsov. In 2018, NYFA opened its second location in Port Washington, Long Island, NY, with head coach and co-owner Sergey Danilov. In 2025, NYFA expanded with a third location in Downtown Brooklyn. NYFA is a center for excellence in epee, with one of the strongest competitive epee programs in the country. NYFA has produced Olympic, World, and National Champions, and has members on the USA, French, and Greek national teams. NYFA provides private lessons, group classes, after-school programs, and camps for students of all ages and all levels, beginners to advanced. Visit www.fencenyfa.com for more info.
