Meet Race Imboden, the 19 year-old Fencer from Park Slope Competing in This year's Olympics

While most of us will spend this upcoming week watching the 2012 summer Olympics at work, in bars, or while curled up on the couch devouring an entire pan of lasagna while our cats silently judge us, one of our own will be in London ACTUALLY COMPETING IN THE GAMES. Race Imboden is a 19 year-old Park Slope resident who just HAPPENS to be the #1 fencer in the country, and #4 in the entire world. And he's 19. Let that sink in for a moment as you picture what you yourself were like at that age (are you stoned and rapping along to "Top That" from the 1989 film Teen Witch? I am in my flashback).

THNKR, a new educational YouTube channel, has featured Imboden in an episode of their show Prodigies, a program that shines a spotlight on people who make us feel both amazingly inspired and incredibly jealous at the same time. "Fencing is the physical chess," Imboden explains over some bad-ass footage of him obliterating his competition. "It's a complete balance between physical work and mental work." 

Race Imboden is so hardcore about competing that he even has the Olympic rings tattooed on his arm. Thank goodness he actually made it to the games, otherwise he may have found himself in embarrassing situations in years to come ("Oh, no -- yeah, I never made it. I just always...wanted to. Broken dreams, I guess -- No, you don't need to buy my beer for me.") His parents will see him compete internationally for the first time when he fences on Tuesday, and based on this video, I imagine his mom will cry a lot, and it will be adorable.

FIPS wishes you the best of luck, Race!!