Jan York Romary

Janice Lee York Romary competed at 6 Olympic Games and was 10 times the US National Women’s Foil Champion. At both the 1952 and 1956 Olympics, she finished in 4th place. She began her fencing career at a young age under the tutelage of Ralph Faulkner at his Hollywood-based Falcon Studios.

Unusual for the time, Jan changed clubs and masters many times over the course of her long career. At various times she was coached by Faulkner, Aldo Nadi, Joseph Vince and Torao Mori. And that’s only the list of who I’m certain of. She tended to return to Faulkner in between other coaches.

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Most of the coaches claimed to have been the secret of her success.

Evidence would suggest she created her own success, regardless of coach. In 1968 at her sixth and final Olympic Games in Mexico City, she became the first woman to carry the US flag in the opening ceremony.

Articles

Historical Holiday

Historical Holiday

Driving around Southern California may not seem like much of a Holiday, especially when traveling alone, but a recent weekend outmatched all my expectations.  The plan was to make four different stops in hopes of collecting fencing history.

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The Little Woman With The Big Briefcase

The Little Woman With The Big Briefcase

Tommy Angell was the type of person who overcame obstacles.  It doesn’t seem to matter how challenging things may have been; she simply took them on and beat them.   Not just took them on; she seems to have sought them out and demolished them.

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Unforgettable: Jan Romary

Unforgettable: Jan Romary

Janice Lee York Romary was the US National Foil Champion ten times in a span of 18 years from the first win to the last. She represented the United States at the Olympic Games a then-record six times.

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