74-Year-Old Wins Gold at National Fencing Championships

A 74-year-old Edgewater man won a gold medal at the USA Fencing Summer National Championships in California last week.

Kaz Campe of Edgewater took home first place in the Epee division—a style of fencing that features a heavier sword with a stiffer, thicker blade and offers athletes full-body targets, according to USFencing.org.

As a member of the DC Fencers Club (DCFC), Campe was one of nine total competitors that medaled at the national championships. However, nearly 50 fencers competed altogether in numerous team and individual events hosted by USA Fencing, the governing body for the Olympic sport, according to a DCFC release.

Campe’s impressive finish was heightened by the fact he was one of more than 3,500 fencers representing clubs from all over America. The event also served as the final qualifying tournament for the 2012 Veteran World Championships, set to take place in Austria this October.

The official category for Campe’s medal was the Veteran 70 Men’s Epee competition. 

According to Fencing.net, Campe also won a gold at the Veteran's World Championships in 1998. 

Do you know Kaz Campe? Tell him congrats in the comments below!