At the 2023 FIE Veteran Fencing World Championships, James Newsome, TFC coach, played a crucial role in leading Team USA to victory in the Veteran Men’s Epee team event. Alongside teammates Joe Deucher, Walt Dragonetti, Fred Frank, Jon Normile, and Charlie Schneider, Newsome helped secure Team USA’s fourth world championship in the event, continuing the team’s dominance with wins in 2017, 2018, 2019, and now 2023 after a brief hiatus in 2022 when Italy took the title.
For Newsome, this victory marked his first World Championship title. He reflected on the significance of this moment and the camaraderie that developed among the team members throughout their journey.
“The biggest thing for me is you get great friendships,” Newsome shared. “We come from different backgrounds. Some of us have had a lot of coaching, some of us have had no coaching. But we all find a way to be competitive and to come out. Sometimes that means traveling. Sometimes it means just working at home alone by yourself to hone your skills and keep going. And that’s what makes a team like this great.”
With this gold medal, James Newsome has not only cemented his place in the fencing world but has also brought pride to Tidewater Fencing Club’s first International medal, and first World Championship medal.
