VSP Spotlight – Incoming Harvard Fencer Shaun Kim
This week’s athlete spotlight shines on Shaun Kim! Shaun, a recent graduate of The Hackley School, is a Harvard fencing commit & has been a regular with us at VSP over the past year. Shaun is a decorated fencer & has taken his elite skillset & paired it with a steady dose of dedication & consistency to his training in the weight room. The results are evident & are setting him up for his first fall as part of the Harvard Crimson.
Let’s dive into it!
Background
To give some background on how elite Shaun is, he has collected 19 National medals including Nationals & Junior Olympics. He has earned 9 international medals including Junior Pan American Championships. He was the 2023 Cadet National Champion, & 2024 Cadet Team member, & a 2026 Team USA Junior Men’s Team World Champion.
It’s safe to say, Shaun is an incredible athlete who has seen so much success within his sport. However, he didn’t get here by chance. He dedicated himself to his training. With his main objectives being strength, power, & agility, he was one of our most consistent athletes in the time leading up to his senior year of highshool & this summer leading into his freshman year at Harvard.
Junior World Championships
One of the main events that we were training for this year with Shaun was the 2026 FIE Cadet & Junior World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After months of training, where we were able to increase Shaun’s strength, power, & agility, Shaun helped the USA Junior Men’s Saber Team claim gold!
Shaun was 1 of only 4 fencers selected to represent the USA in these championships. Bringing home the gold medal in these events is considered the pinnacle of junior fencing competition. In addition, Shaun also placed top 32 in the Junior Men’s Saber Individual competition.
His hard work, dedication, & commitment clearly paid off in many ways!
Harvard
As we have mentioned Shaun is attending Harvard in the fall & will be joining their prestigious fencing program. As 2024 National Champions, Harvard has a reputation for being one of the best fencing programs in the country.
Shaun isn’t just content with making it to that level… he wants to thrive there!
This drive has allowed him to double down on his training this summer. Dedicate more time than ever, & really maximize on his strength & power gains leading into the fall.
We are super proud of all the hard work Shaun has been putting in with us here at VSP. His recent success wasn’t luck, it was earned. And we are even more excited to see what he accomplishes at Harvard this fall & onward.
Written by:
Jake Lebovitch – Assistant Director of Performance & Content Manager
