HOT Fencing is owned and coached by Rebekah
Vande Velde, who has been engaged in the sport for 6 years. She has been fencing
competitively since 2007, and was the only fencer to represent Waco in the 2009
Summer Nationals. She has earned her E2010 in Foil.
Before competitive fencing, she
fenced recreationally with the Heart of Texas Fencing Club, under Coach Gary
Murray Sr. At age 15 she had never been involved with sports, but after seeing a small ad in a local newspaper
for fencing classes, she decided it might be fun to try, and attended a class, planning only to watch.
Once there, she
found herself in a jacket with a foil in hand, completely smitten with the
sport. It wasn't long before days which had fencing practice became (and still
remain) her favorite day of the week.
As part of her vision to share the sport with
her city, Coach Vande Velde opened HOT Fencing, a club dedicated to all the
wonderful aspects of the sport. She places great emphasis on keeping the
traditional spirit of fencing- integrity, respect, and good sportsmanship- at
the forefront of her students education.
In 2009, Coach Vande Velde was chosen by the City of
Waco and the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation to host the fencing events of the
2010 and 2011 Summer Games of Texas. The event was a great success thanks to the hard work
of all the friends and volunteers of HOT Fencing.
In addition, Coach Vande Velde trains
in the martial art of Ba Ki Do at Central Texas Family Karate, where she is also
an instructor. She is currently pursuing her brown belt.
