Park Ridge athlete heads to Paris as part of US fencing team

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Fencing has taken Filip Dolegiewicz of Park Ridge around the world. But at the beginning, he was just tagging along.

“I started after my older brother. So I saw kids playing with swords at eight years old and thought that was super cool.  I was really dying to try it.”

Turns out young Dolegiewicz – who eventually beat his brother in high school – had quite the talent. When his coach had to go back to Europe, it was Dolegiewicz’s family that stepped up to keep that talent going.

“My parents decided to take over the club as a business. My dad is helping out at the club, my older brother is one of the coaches at the club.”

That club is now the Midwest Fencing Club at 6100 North Cicero Ave. The family business boasts sixteen alumni who have gone to college thanks in part to the sword.

Now, Dolegiewicz is almost an Olympian.

“Super exciting. It’s a dream come true.”

He’s an alternate, but in sabre fencing, that’s mostly a technicality.

“I get to compete during the team event. So, I’m the fourth on the US team, so that means I’m part of the team and I can get subbed in whenever someone gets injured or isn’t feeling it that day. Or strategically, I can also just be subbed in.”

In Park Ridge, Dolegiewicz went to Maine South, but his skill with the sabre took him to Harvard - where he was the NCAA National Champion in 2022. That is also where he went to school with all three other members of Team USA sabre fencing. They all spent the summer sparring against each other in New York.

“The whole length of the sword is conductible, so you can slash your opponents. It’s a much faster weapon than the other ones. It’s a lot more aggressive, because you have people charging towards each other, because you don’t have to be as accurate to hit someone.”

The sport has brought Dolegiewicz to a  NCAA Title in 2022 and all around the world.

“I do not speak French.  I’m going to try to brush up on a little bit of French. I’ve been there a few times over these past years, just for competitions, so I know very basic words, that’s it.”

Though his heart remains in Chicago.

“Come try fencing at the Midwest Fencing Club! They’re always open, and always looking for new students to come try.”

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