This U.S. fencer is in the Olympics thanks to Star Wars

Mitchell Saron, 22, is an alumnus of Ridgewood High School and a recent graduate of Harvard University. He studied economics and is passionate about sports. Like many other American 20-somethings, he is also a Star Wars fan. This has led in unexpected ways to his current representation of the United States at the Paris 2024 Olympics in Men's sabre and Men's team sabre competition.

Raised on Star Wars

As reported by NorthJersey.com, the Filipino-American athlete grew up with some strong cinematic influences:

"As a little kid, it was Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings that drew me to fencing. I still think there's nothing cooler than being a Jedi."

- Mitchell Saron

The fencer even has a bit of a history that reminds us of the "mighty Skywalker blood." His great-grandfather was a guardian of justice in his own way:

"The family story goes that my grandmother's dad, a swordsman, was defending his town from a bully and killed him. He had to run away to protect himself... Sadly, he never did return. He was literally fighting for his family's honor. Over a century later, I get to figuratively fight for my country on the world's greatest stage. I am super proud of my Filipino heritage and my family's story."

- Mitchell Saron

He went from playing in the backyard with sticks to training in fencing so effectively that he won the North American Cup at the age of 10.

"You would rival Master Yoda as a swordsman."

In terms of his style, Saron has noticed that "the Sith Lords like Count Dooku use a grip similar to Olympic saber fencing."

He is more jovial than his Sith counterparts, saying that he qualified as an "All-American sandwich thrower" for his fondness for food fights. He was in the Entrepreneurship Club in high school and while that served him well at Harvard, he was All-Ivy three times, All-American once, and won an NCAA title.

We are confident the Force will be with this young knight as he competes in the 2024 games.