Direct Elimination Podcast
Direct Elimination Podcast
Podcast Description
Where champions take off the mask.Hosted by elite fencers Ari Simmons and Stephen Ewart, Direct Elimination brings you raw, honest conversations with top performers in sports, business and life. Each episode dives deep into what it really takes to pursue your passion with purpose. No fluff. Just the moments, mindsets, and choices that shape a life in pursuit of something bigger.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on themes such as sports performance, personal growth, and the journey of overcoming adversity. Episodes feature in-depth conversations about topics like learning from failure, mindset shifts, and personal origin stories, with specific examples including Bryce Louie's experiences at the Senior Fencing World Championships and unique relationships that shape an athlete's journey.
The Fencing Podcast of All Fencing Podcasts.
Hosted by Ari Simmons and Stephen Ewart, two elite U.S. fencers chasing Olympic dreams, Direct Elimination goes beyond the strip to uncover the stories, ups and downs that shape athletes. Each episode brings you conversations with fencers, Olympians, and sports leaders who share the mental battles, personal growth, and cultural shifts behind their journeys.
This isn’t just a fencing podcast. It’s about resilience, mindset, and purpose. Whether you’re an athlete, a fan of Olympic sports, or simply someone chasing excellence in life, you’ll find stories here that resonate.
🎙️ Topics we explore:
The mindset of world-class athletes
Failure, resilience, and comeback stories
NCAA & Olympic fencing insights
The role of social media, culture, and community in sports
Why athletes do what they do — and what keeps them fighting
📌 Subscribe for episodes that deliver real talk, laughs, and lessons — straight from the fencing strip to your headphones.
Jackie Dubrovich won Olympic gold with USA fencing in Paris 2024 — then walked away. What happens when the dream is done?
The Fencing Podcast of All Fencing Podcasts.
In this episode, you'll discover:
• How Jackie balanced a full-time corporate 9-to-5 with elite Olympic training — and why she says she couldn't physically do it again at 31
• What it's really like to be coached by your husband, share an Olympic gold medal moment with him, and still come home to the same person that night
• The paralyzing fear Jackie felt at her final individual Olympic event and how she willed herself through it on pure determination
• What identity after sport actually feels like — the aimlessness, the adrenaline gap, and the unglamorous realities of building Polaris Fencing Center from the ground up
Jackie Dubrovich is a two-time Olympian and Olympic gold medalist with the US Women's Foil Team at Paris 2024, one of the most decorated American fencers of her generation. Since retiring, she has channeled her competitive drive into opening Polaris Fencing Center in New Jersey, where she now coaches the next generation of fencers.
What's the hardest part of life after competing at the highest level — losing the sport itself, or losing the person you were inside it? Tell us in the comments.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:20 Growing Up in New Jersey
00:08:28 The Grind
00:11:18 Husband & Coach Dynamic
00:20:53 The Pressure of a Final Olympics
00:25:26 Opening Polaris Fencing Center
00:35:37 What She Misses Most
00:37:57 Life After Sport
00:43:10 Lessons from the Podcast
00:45:12 One Light Answers
00:50:02 Closing Thoughts & Shoutout to Polaris Fencing Center
💬 BEST QUOTES
”My whole life was work like a 9 to 5 and then train in the evenings, compete on the weekends, train on the weekends that I'm not competing.”
”It was it was a really beautiful, meaningful moment. And then to be able to hug him afterwards.”
”I was just willing myself to the finish line. I knew that this was it, I just had nothing else to give.”
”There is no other way to kind of replicate in my day to day life, the adrenaline that fencing gave me.”
Theme song written and performed by Colin Campbell
🔗 Connect with Colin
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/campbelltunes/?hl=en
🔗 Connect with Jackie
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jackiedubrovich/
🤺Polaris Fencing Center: https://www.polarisfencing.com/
Thank you for listening!
🔗 Connect with Us
🎧 Listen on Spotify & Apple: https://link.me/directeliminationpodcast
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/directeliminationpodcast/
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@directeliminationpodcast
📺 Subscribe for more episodes: youtube.com/@directeliminationpodcast
Prieur USA
Website: https://www.prieurusa.com/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prieur_usa/
Edge Spray
Website: https://www.edgespray.com/ALL-IN
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edgespray/?hl=en
Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
For a complete disclaimer, please see our Full Disclaimer on the archive page. The Podcast Collaborative bears no responsibility for the podcast’s themes, language, or overall content. Listener discretion is advised. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy for more details.