Posted On: April 2nd 2026, 04:33 am
Gratitude is on my mind this evening. I am thankful for our creator, who makes all things possible. I like to take time in the quiet leading into the cadet & jr world championships to reflect on all it took to arrive at this moment. All the trust, all the hours of conditioning and repetitive training, all of the emotional ups and downs; and I don’t mean only the athletes arriving to compete, I mean the coach, and the coach who taught them. Behind each competitor here, there is a storyline involving a network of coaches and teachers that span decades….Thank you to my parents (Timothy and Faye Lasker) and my coach, Vladimir Nazlymov, thank you to Arkady Burdan for your generosity, mentorship, and unwavering support for more than 18 years now 💪🏾🤺💪🏾, thank you to my absolutely wonderful wife for sharing her life with me, understanding my passion, and pushing me to continue growing… Kaja Lasker, you make me better in every way 🥰🥰🥰. Thanks to my friends and extended family who have stood by me on my lowest days and my best days, know that I love you and thank you for being there for me and allowing me to be there for you. Let’s go team USA Fencing, and Nellya Fencers… GOOD LUCK 🍀 MARTINA!!!!