Coaches & Staff

Olympia Fencing Center Founder and Director, Daniel Hondor

Daniel started his swordplay career with dreams of earning a spot among the Three Musketeers.
Enthralled by the adventures of the trio, 7-year-old Daniel picked up his first rapier, beginning a lifelong journey that continues today.
Member of the Romanian National Épée Team, 12 times in a row National Champion, multiple times winner of Balkanic Games (a fencing championship very popular in Europe) and a finalist in World Cup Competitions during the ’80s, Daniel basically grew up with the épée in his hand.
A receiver of the Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from the National Academy of Physical Education and Sport in Bucharest, Romania, Daniel has laid down the sword and took up the mantle of coach, teaching the Romanian Junior Team techniques he’d learned throughout his career.
The 1996 Atlanta Olympics Games brought him to America, where he continues to share the art of fencing with students of all ages and experience levels.

Daniel named his club, Olympia Fencing Center, in honor of the Romanian fencing club where he grew up and trained, “Clubul Sportiv Olimpia Craiova” (in Romanian, Craiova being his hometown). Daniel’s coach was the reputable Dumitru Popescu (Maître), at the Junior Olympic Centre for épée, the same coach and the same place where Olympian Ana Maria Popescu spent most of her training years.
Daniel is a small part of one of the most successful Romanian Mens’ Épée Teams, many of whom are now fencing coaches all over the world.

Email Daniel using our contact form.

Sello Maduma, Oly.

Sello joined our coaches’ team in May of 2024, after receiving his O1 visa (for extraordinary ability in athletics).
Sello comes from South Africa, a country he represented at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, CH. With over 20 years of competitive fencing experience, he brings to Olympia his extensive coaching experience:
– Former head coach Bangladesh National Team 2018 – 2019
–  Former head coach of Angola national team 2021
– Head coach at Sello Maduma Fencing Academy, in South Africa before joining Olympia Fencing Center.

Mr. Maduma was recognized by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) as the first black African athlete to compete at the Olympic Games.

We believe that Mr. Maduma is a great addition to our team of coaches, and we’re thrilled to watch his new American students’ growth on their path to becoming successful fencers, just like their coach!

David Abdelmalak

Robert Hondor

Robert started fencing at the age of nine.
Even though fencing wasn’t his first choice of sports, and despite not being of an athletic nature, Robert’s passion for fencing determined him to work hard, and, by his teen years, he won the Junior Olympics, medaled in several National and Regional Championships, and made the USA Cadets Team.
After high school, Robert was recruited to the Division I-NCAA at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and received an Academic Excellence Award and Athletic Scholarship, which he maintained during his college years.
At the time he left for college, Robert was ranked 9th in the USA and 51st in the world.
During his college years, Robert won a Bronze medal at the NCAA 2021, and graduated with a Mechanical Engineering major.

Robert teaches classes at both locations and is available for private lessons.

Benjamin (Ben) Rogak

After not making the basketball team in 7th grade, Ben decided to give fencing a shot and immediately fell in love with the sport.
Fencing provided a unique social outlet paired with intense physical training that greatly helped develop his confidence and athletic capabilities. Ben went on to finish 2nd place at the 2017 World Maccabiah Games team event, Gold at the 2018 Div 1 classification event in Milwaukee WI, and holds an impressive number of medals from national and regional championships
before competing for Brandeis University 2019-2024.

Ben finished his collegiate career as an NCAA qualifier (2020), two times Division III All-American, 2024 All-Academic Team, with several UAA athlete of the week awards earned along the way. He graduated from Brandeis with his BA in Business and Psychology in 2023 before continuing his education to earn an MBA in Marketing and Strategy 2025.

Ben teaches classes at both locations and is available for private lessons by request.

Lori Schmidt

Lori began fencing in college and was a member of the Boston University Fencing Club. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2010.
Prior to college, Lori had been playing tennis competitively for many years and started working with children, which became one of her life-long passions.

Ms. Schmidt has been with our club since 2013, and we recognize her huge contribution in nurturing some of the most successful generations of competitive fencers, as a class teacher, and private lessons coach.

Lori works with students of all ages and levels, and she combines her passion for fencing and teaching with a friendly and warm character, providing encouragement and inspiration at every step.

George Scott

George has over 40 years of fencing experience, both as a coach and competitor.
He started fencing during his freshman year at Temple University and ended with two conference team titles and the Most Valuable Player award as a senior.  After college George fenced at the historic Salle Csiszar under Maestro Lajos Csiszar.  Moving to Boston, George was an assistant coach at Boston College, from 1992 – 1999.
George shares his fencing passion with his son, Noah, an Olympia alumnus, graduate of Stevens College, NY, and currently a Navy officer.
Along with his wife, Angelica Brisk, and her daughter, Isabela Trumble, they founded the Falcons high school fencing team at Cambridge Rindge and Latin, in their hometown of Cambridge, MA.
George currently holds a Level 1 coaching certificate from the US Fencing Coaches Academy, and is available for private lessons in both Cambridge and Newton locations.

Paul Bennett

Paul first began fencing foil with Olympian and USFCA Fencing Master Vincent (Vinnie) Bradford at the University of Texas when he was 18. Shortly after he also joined the University of Texas Fencing Club where he learned from Maître Eric Mallet.
Paul spent his undergrad and grad years fencing at the university club level, ultimately taking a break from fencing as he focused on his career as an AI researcher, although random furniture cushions in Paul’s house may have been used as fencing targets during that time.
With his son joining Olympia in 2024, Paul found a reason to throw himself back into fencing, while switching to epee and being eternally thankful that Vinnie and Eric helped lay a foundation that can be adapted for both weapons. Finally, Paul’s spouse is happy that Paul now leaves the house to fence as opposed to sacrificing countless innocent cushions.

Edward Mullarkey

Ed began fencing at a very young age, with Fencing Master Joe Pechinsky.
Among his great results during the years are the New England YMCA league championship, the New England High School Foil and Épée championship, and the NEUSFA U20 Men’s Foil and Épée Championships. Ed was a medalist in numerous USFA North American Cup events and placed 37^th in the Veterans Men’s Épée World Championship in 2006.
A retired Electrical Engineer, Ed continues to fence competitively in both local and national events and dedicated himself full time to being a fencing coach.
Ed is available for private lessons by request.

Junior Coaches

Tony Whelan

Currently a Junior at Yale University, Tony started fencing by attending a trial class when he was 10 years old, and fell in love with it!
Attaining the Elite class level by the time he was in high-school, Tony has been competing at national and international levels.
His favorite past result is gold at the 2019 Capitol Clash Y14 event, where he made a comeback from a 4-13 deficit — reinforcing the fencing truism to take things one touch at a time.

Tony participated to numerous world cups, before leaving for college, and he also earned First-Team and Second-Team Academic All American distinctions from USA Fencing.
Tony is back home during every school breaks, teaching beginner/intermediate classes. He is available for private lessons by request during these times.

Phoebe Chisholm

A Junior at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and State Championship medalist with their épée team in 2023, Phoebe started fencing when she was 7 years old.
Promoted to the highest category, our Elite Program since she was 10 years old, Phoebe has been competing at national level tournaments since.
In 2022, Phoebe qualified to compete internationally and made the Cadet Women’s Epee team.
Phoebe’s best past results include 3rd at a Cadet NAC and 16th at a Cadet World Cup.

Phoebe is a loved assistant coach and a role model for our Musketeers, both in the Newton and Cambridge locations!

Ava Wade-Currie

Ava started fencing when she was seven years old, and by the time she was 14 years old she earned her A-rating.
She is one of the youngest female fencers to be recruited by Northwestern University as early as the age of 16!

2024: a sophomore at Northwestern University and fencer in their Div 1 Epee Team , Ava is double majoring in Psychology and Global Health. In her first season as a Wildcat Ava went undefeated in her first ever college tournament against Notre Dame, helped lead her team to win Central Collegiate Fencing Champions, qualified for NCAA Midwest Regionals, and was voted Northwestern University Fencing Programs Rookie of the Year!  When she has off time from school Ava continues to support our beginner and youth fencing classes as an assistant coach.

Co-Owner and Business Manager: Iulia Hondor

A proud fencing mom since 2009, Iulia learned about fencing by watching her son, Robert, from the beginning of his fencing career, until the present day.
To her surprise, seeing Robert transformed from a chubby and slow child who hated all sports, to an accomplished athlete, muscular, fast, and witty, she soon became mesmerized by the way fencing models people’s bodies and characters.
She quit her job in the banking industry to support her husband, Daniel, in his ambition to build his dream fencing club, to give more people the opportunity to discover and fall in love with this unique sport, and change more lives.

They founded Olympia Fencing Center in 2012, and worked tirelessly since, not only to make the often overlooked sport of fencing more popular, but to make Olympia the biggest and most successful fencing club in the country.
In 2022, their dream became reality: Olympia became officially the largest one-weapon club in the USA, and produced four NCAA medalists, a Youth Bronze Olympic Champion, and numerous national, and world medalists.
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Parent Liason: Allison Wade

Ms. Wade is a fencing enthusiast and mother, who learned about the sport while watching and cheering on her daughter, Ava, for over seven years.
An  Adjunct Professor at Boston University and Clinical Worker by day, Allison is spending her nights at Olympia, during Ava’s classes. Due to her experience with fencing and fencing competitions, Allison quickly became a trusted parent advisor and office helper. She is the person behind the club’s newsletter, travel booking for coaches, events planning, and more.
A valuable asset to our club and a joyous presence, Allison is greeting everyone with a big smile, good advice, and great support.