Speak Up

I want to give something to the ‪‎fencers‬, my nine year old ‪daughter‬ says. Let’s see what we have in the ‪gift‬ cupboard, I respond. We pull out colorful goodie bags left over from her ‪baby‬ ‪sister‬’s ‪birthday‬ party. Water bottles. ‪Chocolate‬. We decide to add containers of powdered ‪Gatorade‬ that my ‪husband‬ uses when he competes in ‪fencing‬ tournaments.

Can I ‪draw‬ on the bags? she asks. That is a great idea, sweetie pie! Make sure to put the permanent markers back in the locked bin when you are done so your sister can’t use them to decorate the walls. She covers the bags with ‪NCAA‬ trophies, using her father’s as a model. Inspirational sayings. And then packs them carefully in a giant Ikea bag for me to transport to the venue.

Spring break begins this week. My kids are set to go on a fishing trip with family members. When my husband and I agreed to buy a second car, the intention was that I would use it for girlfriend road trips. One week ago, my college fencing team – the current NCAA champions – qualified a full roster to this year’s championship tournament, which begins in five days. And when I discovered an incredibly low hotel room rate through a list of alumni housing options via the host university? I booked it minutes before the deal ended.

With transportation and housing all set, I reached out to a fencer who has been incredibly kind to my family, and asked if she wanted to accompany me on the trip. Much to my joy, she said yes. After laughingly discussing sleeping on her dorm room floor, we agreed that she would take the train to my home early on the first day of competition, and we would drive down together.

This is why I do what I do – to spend time with amazing people. When I first became an entrepreneur, I attended numerous networking events. And came away feeling empty, much like speed dating. So when I identify the possibility of spending significant chunks of time with a room full of people I would love to know? I jump at the opportunity.

Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.

When my boyfriend was twenty years old, I watched him win the qualifying tournament for the ‪college‬ ‪NCAA‬ championships. For the past year – our first as a couple – I had watched him elevate his ‪fencing‬ game again and again. But this? Was the first time I saw him win a major ‪competition‬. And he was not the only one winning. I watched teammates rack up unexpected wins that led to a blaze of blue atop the dais.

Today, my alma mater will be heading back to the qualifiers as they look to defend their title as NCAA ‪champions‬. My ‪husband‬ and I will be watching live as the results come in. I wish the ‪Columbia‬ fencing ‪team‬ and all the competitors ‪joy‬ on the ‪Northeast Regionals‬ battlefield today.

When people ask me what my husband and I do to keep the romance alive, I tell them that we hit each other with swords. Fencing is the glue that binds my family together. Each Saturday, my husband brings one, two or five family members to practice at our local club. On weekdays, he heads into Manhattan to attend evening practice at one of the numerous elite clubs there. Every few weeks, he attends competitions in driving distance of our home.

Now that we own two cars, the possibilities have expanded. One of us can attend a fencing event that begins at dawn, while the other one arrives later with our three young children. This is a setup that my husband and I have talked and dreamed about for years. To be able to compete and involve our family is a gift. And I am grateful for it every day.

Kathy Zucker is an international social media Shorty Award winner, mother of three and a startup founder at companies including the Metro Moms Network®.