Dawn Knows The Way To San Jose

In a few hours I'll have to get up early and take a vacationing Dawn to the airport. She's catching an 8 AM EDT flight to San Jose, CA for the United States Fencing Association Summer Nationals tournament that started July 1 and is running through July 10 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center.

She's been looking forward to this for months and I'm so proud of my homegirl. She's been fencing for four years now, has an E08 rating, and for this tournament she's competing in Veterans 40 and Division 1. She's also ranked number 6 nationally in Women's Saber and in the Veterans Combined rankings she's Number 11 nationally.

She's also living the USA Veterans fencing motto of 'we have fun -- but we keep score!'

She and the rest of the 'Baby Vets' and 'Senior Mama's' will once again be slashing, parrying, trash talking and point attacking each other on the fencing strips in pursuit of medals and glory, then partying or reaching for the heating pads and ice packs when they're done.

Hey, I'm not being shady, I'm being real with y'all. You should see some of those bruises that sabers leave after you been hit with them.

Speaking of trash talking, the 'Baby Vets' have taken that originally derisive nickname bestowed upon them by the 'Senior Mama's and run with it. They now have their own theme song sung to the tune of the Supremes 'Baby Love' and I heard they may even unveil some special t-shirts for this events as well.

There's been talk in veteran's fencing circles since the Chicago NAC tournament in March about a possible Vet 40 world championship tournament in 2009. The rumored venue for it is Sydney if FIE (the world fencing governing body) gives its blessing to proceed with it. Where Dawn is ranked right now, she'd qualify for Team USA and that trip Down Under.

She not only wants to win this tournament, but a trip to Australia is even more incentive for her to do well and maintain her ranking. She's been training hard over the last few weeks since that birthday trip I took with her to Columbus for the Great Lakes Sectional Tournament. Dawn feels she's ready to take on her fellow Vet 40 saberists and the peeps in Division I and so does Maestro Stawicki, her LFC coach.

Well, you know I'll be telling y'all what transpired when she gets back.