Nikhil Khanna is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Fencing for a Purpose. He loves the sport of fencing and has been fencing since he was 10 years old. He is currently ranked 22nd nationally in Junior Men's Epee and is from Houston Texas. He is an upcoming 12th grader at IUniversityPrep and is passionate about volunteering and helping others. Nikhil cofounded Fencing for a Purpose to make fencing more accessible to everyone. He has helped FFP organize many fencing camps and events, including fencing camps for special needs kids and the military children community. He has also helped FFP grow their volunteers across the nation, with the goal of making fencing known more nationally. Outside of fencing, Nikhil likes staying active and playing other sports like football and basketball. He also enjoys playing the violin and coding in his free time. Additionally, he is doing a volunteer internship at OpenNLP Labs, focusing on building AI to help visually impaired students learn braille.

Theodore Tikhomirov is the Co-Founder and CFO of Fencing for a Purpose. Theodore is a senior at the Latin School of Chicago where he is a member of 2 a capella groups, co-head of the Student Academic Board. In addition, Theodore is a member of the Latin Student Investment fund, which is a student-lead endowment fund with over $125,000 AUM. Additionally, Theodore is the CFO of the Junior Economic Club of Chicago where he oversees event planning, outreach, and helps with fundraising. Theodore was inspired to start Fencing for a Purpose along with Alex and Nikhil because he noticed how little recognition the sport was getting. Also, he noticed that fencing wasn't a particularly equitable sport either, so he set out to change that. Theodore has run fundraising camps, camps for children with disabilities, sponsored Ukrainian fencing competitions, organized and sponsored travel for Ukrainian fencers, and is also currently working on overseeing the language exchange with Ukrainian fencers. Theodore hopes that his work with fencing for a purpose will expose more people to the sport, and also make fencing a more accessible sport for everyone.

Hi, my name is Alex and I am 16 years old from Cheverly, Maryland. I started fencing in Florida when I was 10 years old and have been fencing epee at the national level ever since then. I love fencing due to the passion and intelligence required to do well in the sport, and I co-founded FFP to spread this love. My mission is to help this community that I love and cherish, and I believe by investing my time and effort in FFP I can help achieve that goal. Outside of fencing, my main hobbies include working, shadowing, reading, and volunteering my time elsewhere.

My name is Markenever Dai, Mark Dai for short, and I’m from Los Angeles, California. I am currently a rising senior at Harvard-Westlake School. I began fencing in 10th grade, and it has had a profound impact on my life. I joined Fencing for a Purpose so that I could help enlarge and share the lessons, strong sense of community, and love for the sport across Los Angeles. What I once thought would be a small, niche community has turned out to be very large and inspiring. Outside of fencing, I enjoy running, painting, and listening to podcasts.

My name is Alber, and I am a sophomore at Lynbrook High School. I have fenced for almost eight years, and I am a certified referee, as well as a nationally ranked fencer. I have won numerous national and regional medals in my career as well as being a national champion. I am passionate about this sport and would love to introduce more children to this amazing experience.

My name is Bethany, and I am a sophomore at Lynbrook High School. I started fencing recreationally when I was eight, but switched to competitive fencing later on. I am a certified referee and have also won numerous regional medals. I am excited to share my love and passion for fencing here at Fencing for a Purpose.

I come from a fencing family - it runs in my blood! From my grandfather, to my mother, and then to me, as well as my friends and my brother. To me, fencing is more than a sport - it’s a passion that challenges me every day. It teaches you how to get back up when you fail. I joined FFP to feel part of a bigger community around the world, also by helping others. Fencing pushes me to stay focused, think faster, outsmart, and improve daily.

Two years ago, Ari won the Silver medal at the National Championship, and ranked top ten in the country for his age group. Although he has been injured twice, leading him to no longer fence, he has repurposed his time training younger fencers and volunteer coaching at Windy City Fencing. He continues to help FFP promote equality through language tutoring with Ukranian fencers.

Hi, my name is Abigail Tismensky. I’m 14 years old and from Chicago, Illinois. I joined Fencing for a Purpose because I believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn about fencing. To me, fencing is more than just a sport; it gives me a sense of purpose. It not only builds physical strength, but also mental strength. That’s why I’m passionate about helping to make fencing a more recognized and well known sport.

I joined Fencing for a Purpose because I’m passionate about helping the sport of fencing gain more recognition and making it accessible to everyone, no matter their background. Outside of fencing, I enjoy playing the piano, listening to music, biking with my family, and spending time with friends. I’m excited to be a part of a community that uses fencing to make a positive impact.

My name is Dimitri Lescure, and I am a Regional Officer for Region 5. When I joined Fencing for a Purpose, my main objective was to help the fencing community by taking an active role in a charitable organization. In doing this, I have deepened my understanding of community and feel more connected than ever before. Outside of fencing, I enjoy hiking with my family.

I am Saina and I am 15 years old from Dallas, Texas. I started fencing when I was 11 years old and have fenced epee at the national level. Since then, it’s been a source of discipline, perseverance, and most importantly… fun! The fencing community has been very inspiring and joining FFP has taken that inspiration to the next level. Some of my hobbies include running, reading, and hanging out with my friends.

Hi, my name is Arohi Kalgaonkar and I’m from Dallas, Texas. I started fencing at 12 years old and I joined Fencing for a Purpose so I could help more people have the opportunity to learn fencing, and everything else it teaches you, like perseverance and gaining confidence. Outside of fencing, I enjoy reading, painting, and hanging out with friends.

Liam began fencing at seven after watching an Olympic bout on television and realizing there was a sport that involved swords and air conditioning. He was hooked. Now, Liam is a nationally ranked Y14 and cadet fencer, recently finishing 20th overall in Y14 men’s epee at the 2025 summer nationals.

He trains 4-5 days a week, enjoys traveling, meeting new people in the fencing community and absorbing all he can about the sport that he loves. Through Fencing with a Purpose, Liam discovered that he also loves to teach and work with students who are new to fencing, helping them develop the same passion he has for the sport. When he’s not fencing, Liam loves music, Star Wars, dogs, and spending time with his friends.

Dev Sathyan is a 14-year-old competitive epee fencer and a C-rated athlete with a strong passion for both sports and science. A dedicated Boy Scout currently pursuing his Eagle rank as a Life Scout, Dev brings leadership and perseverance to everything he does. Dev has served in his scouts troop leadership as a Quartermaster, demonstrating responsibility and teamwork. Beyond fencing, he has participated in the National Science Bee and authored research posters exploring the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. Dev continues to combine his curiosity for science with his drive for excellence on and off the strip.

I live in Brooklyn, NY and practice at New York Fencing Academy. My hobbies are sports, video games, and going to the beach. I joined Fencing for a Purpose because of my love for the sport, and because I believe everyone should have a chance to fence.

My name is Liora Profis and I fence for the New York Fencing Academy. I started fencing when I was 7 years old and it has become a dominating force in my life. The amazing part of my journey in fencing has been meeting incredible fencers from all around the world and making great friends for life. I joined FFP because fencing is not only about parrying and lunging — I wanted to make a real difference.

Liat is from Queens, New York and is fencing at New York Fencing Academy. Aside from fencing, she loves to spend time with friends, play soccer, and bake. By joining Fencing for a Purpose, Liat is hoping to spread the love and knowledge of fencing to many more kids.

It was so much fun being able to share the art of fencing with kids who have Type One Diabetes. Everyone had so much fun learning how to fence! A special thanks to Revolution Fencing Center for lending the space to Maddox and FFP for this event.