Meet Fil-Am Olympic gold medalist in fencing Lee Kiefer
Photos from leetothekiefer/Instagram
Competing in the Olympics is a monumental achievement in itself. Winning a gold medal is an even rarer and more impressive accomplishment, but securing two gold medals back-to-back elevates an athlete to an extraordinary level of excellence and enduring legacy.
This is something that Filipino American fencer Lee Kiefer embodies, as she is a two-time Olympic gold medalist for women’s individual foil for both the Tokyo Olympics and the ongoing 2024 Paris Olympics.
As is often the case with Filipinos, there is immense pride and support for successful individuals with Filipino roots, no matter where they compete on the global stage. Power and dedication through and through, here are some facts to get to know her better.
Lee Kiefer’s Filipino heritage
The multi-awarded fencer Lee Kiefer has Filipino roots through her mother, Teresa, a psychiatrist, who was born in Tagum City in Davao del Norte, Philippines and immigrated to the United States as a child.
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In 2021, she was one of the TOFA (The Outstanding Filipinos Awards) recipients honored at the Carnegie Hall in New York.
Lee Kiefer is shown in this photo among the 2021 TOFA awardees at Carnegie Hall in New York. Back row (standing) from left: Chef Jordan Andino, Kiefer, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Air Force Undersecretary Gina Ortiz Jones, Dr Francisca Velcek, Rod Mercado, Miss Nevada Kataluna Enriquez. Front row from left: NaFFAA President Brendan Flores, Dr. Allan Laino, Ez Mil, Inquirer.net USA columnist and TOFA founder Elton Lugay. CONTRIBUTED
She is a medical student
Balancing the demands of being a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a medical student at 30 is no small feat, yet Lee Kiefer has managed to excel in both areas. Despite the challenges, Kiefer has navigated her dual careers with remarkable success.
“I really wanted to keep fencing because I still love it and enjoy doing it. I felt like I could keep growing my skills and my routine,” she shared with The Winchester Sun in April, as shared by Olympic.com. “However, the biggest obstacle was the UK College of Medicine. I was not sure they would let me continue, which would have been totally understandable.”
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Fortunately, the university allowed Kiefer to pause her studies, enabling her to focus on her fencing training ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Currently, Kiefer is a medical student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.
She is a history-maker
Interestingly, Kiefer secured her place in history as the fifth American fencer to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics by defeating fellow American Lauren Scruggs with a commanding 15-6 score in the final at the Grand Palais on July 28.
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Following her Tokyo 2020 Olympic triumph, Kiefer celebrated this latest victory with a joyful pirouette down the piste, becoming only the second American fencer to win gold in the same event twice, alongside Mariel Zagunis, who won in 2004 and 2008.
But it’s not just the Olympics; she also has seven World Championship medals under her belt, among many others.
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