KK: What impact does that have on your personal life?

AM: I have two kids, so obviously I had to have more help in terms of watching them and taking care of them. But my husband was very supportive and thought I would be the right person for it, so he didn’t complain too much. My kids are happy I’m not traveling right now. Actually, he told me that my presence might actually be more important than his, so I took that as a compliment.

KK: Eleven years of marriage, two kids, and a supportive spouse—that’s absolutely great.

AM: Well, he’s a fencer, too.

KK: Have you ever fenced each other?

AM: Yes, we have quite a few times. A lot of the events in the Midwest are mixed.

KK: Did you win?

AM: The first couple times, yes, but he hadn’t fenced for 12 years. Now we try to avoid fencing each other because either he’ll let me win and then I’m annoyed or he’ll beat me and then I’m annoyed. My husband is a full-time coach, and so I help him run the fencing club here in my spare time. I actually went to Chicago last weekend to a competition and helped coach because he was also competing.

KK: Do your kids fence?

AM: They do. They just started in the last year or two. My kids are 6 and 9, so they are at the beginning of fencing. My daughter fences reluctantly.

KK: Well, maybe she’ll be a future Olympic fencer—that’s exciting.

AM: Yes, I think the bar has been set high.