I'm feeling a little bit of butterflies going through my stomach, trying to focus on the breathing, trying to focus on getting the legs ready to move, to be able to put myself in the right position to score, to put the tip on and down on those legs- balanced.

And this is Summer Nationals, which is the largest fencing tournament anywhere in the world.

There's 6,000 fencers from 46 different states competing for national championships and everything from the under 10 age category all the way up to the over 80 H category.

We have about 170 people from the state of Oregon who are competing in this 10-day tournament.

Oregon really has a great fencing history that really started with Mariel Zagunas and many others.

Fencing's all about physical chess, right?

So you're trying to outsmart your opponent by being the first one to get that touch.

The end of the fencing sword, the blade has a little button on the end and when you press that against your opponent before they get you, you get a point.

It's always an invigorating prospect to have this many fencers around.

There's an energy, there's a want to compete and get better.

I love it even when it's, it, it brings out the best and the worst in, in you as an athlete and as a person.

When you know that you've made the other guy make a mistake and that, that moment right before you hit them, they know it, you know it, pop.

Best feeling in the world.