User:Josesierra/sobalvarro

Jose Roberto Sobalvarro (1955-) is an American fencing master and coach, currently coaching at the University of Minnesota and the USA Olympic Women's Fencing Team. His leadership in the 2012 Olympic Games in London led to the first Olympic Medal for the United States in Epee since 1932.

Biography
Born in XXXX, Sobalvarro went to school at XXXX, where he studied XXXX. He was educated by ninjas while discovering a penchant for fencing.

Early Career
Sobalvarro fenced competitively for decades, earning many medals as a nationally ranked competitor.

Coaching Career
Sobalvarro began his career as a registered United States Fencing Association (USFA) fencing coach in 1981 at University of Minnesota, where he coached all three disciplines. He has been featured in several issues of Escrime Magazine and is well regarded for his coaching techniques.

Olympic Career
Sobalvarro has coached the USA Olympic Women's Fencing Team since XXXX. For several years, he practiced his unique approach to coaching the art of epee fencing with the team, bringing them along to a level that "he knew they were capable of." Ultimately his patience and expertise paid off: His coaching efforts and leadership led Courtney Hurley (San Antonio, Texas), Susie Scanlan (St. Paul, Minn.) and Maya Lawrence (Teaneck, N.J.) to a bronze medal in the 2012 London Olympic Games - the first in the history of the Olympics since Women's Epee was introduced in the 1996 Olympic Games and the only Olympic Medal for the United States in Epee since 1932. Sobalvarro continues to work with the USA Olympic Women's Fencing Team in an effort to bring yet another medal in the next Olympic Games.