Awards / Scholarships

The Omaha Fencing Club’s goal is to introduce the sport of fencing to anyone who has a desire to learn and practice. We understand that this takes both time and money. In an effort to help with the costs of the sport we have offered scholarships to our yearly membership (Patrick DeSimio Award) and can help offset the cost of going to US Fencing national events.

Patrick DeSimio Award

The Patrick Desimio Award is given to an OFC fencer that has shown commitment to our sport and a high degree of good sportsmanship during practice. The recipient of the Patrick DeSimio award is granted free fencing with us for one season, which runs from August 1st to July 31st of the following year. This includes free access to all fencing the OFC has to offer as well as private instruction to improve their fencing further.

The Patrick DeSimio Award is named in honor of Coach DeSimio, whom we hold in high regard. Patrick originally came to us from Dayton, Ohio where he was a coach at the American Fencing Academy of Dayton. Through his cheery demeanor, outstanding attitude, and skill as a fencer our club grew leaps and bounds during the time he was among our coaching ranks. Patrick is also responsible for training coaches Alex, Sara, and Jason for their Moniteur exams with the US Fencing Coaches Association! Patrick now resides in Las Cruces, New Mexico and continues to teach fencing at Las Cruces community centers.

The recipients of the Patrick Desimio Award thus far:

2012-2013: Olivia Powers

2013-2014: Brandon Collins

2014-2015: Piper Hager

2015-2016: John Henry Buttz