FRANCESCA RUSSO
Olympics
S
ince fencing for Wayne
Valley and Bergen Fencing
Club, Francesca Russo has
scored some memorable
victories — among them,
winning the sabre compe-
tition for the University of Notre
Dame as a freshman, and a second
National Collegiate Fencing
Individual championship in the
women’s sabre last spring. Her
performance helped her team
capture the program’s ninth
NCAA national title.
Now, as a Notre Dame senior, she
is looking towards the future, which
involves continued fencing, a possible
post-graduation marketing job in
New York or New Jersey, and
competing at the ultimate proving
ground: the 2020 Summer Olympics
in Tokyo.
Traveling for international bouts is
nothing new to Russo, who competed
in three senior-level international
competitions after her triumph in
late March; while attending an early
summer study abroad program with
Notre Dame in Rome, she practiced
with the Italian national team. The
Zen of fencing can be appreciated
anywhere.
>
Russo (left) lunges
at her opponent.
WAYNE MAGAZINE FALL 2017
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