Yury Gelman Foundation

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A Mentor, Leader and Builder of Champions.

More Than a Coach.

Yury Gelman is widely recognized as one of the most accomplished and respected fencing coaches in the world. For decades, he has dedicated his life to developing young athletes into champions both on and off the strip through discipline, mentorship, and excellence.

A multiple-time Olympic coach for the United States, Yury served as a coach for the U.S. Olympic Fencing Team at the 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London, 2016 Rio, and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Over the course of his career, he has trained more than 24 members of the U.S. National Team and over 10 Olympians.

In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the sport, Yury was inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame — one of the highest honors in American fencing.

Among his many achievements, Yury coached the U.S. Men’s Saber Team to a historic Silver Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and coached Olympic medalists at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, including Daryl Homer, Dagmara Wozniak, and Monica Aksamit.

Beyond the medals and accolades, Yury is deeply committed to helping young people build confidence, resilience, leadership, and character through the sport of fencing. His philosophy has always extended far beyond competition – using sport as a powerful tool to shape lives and open doors for future generations.

Through the Yury Gelman Foundation, Yury continues his mission of expanding access and opportunity for talented young athletes, regardless of financial circumstances, while inspiring the next generation to pursue excellence in sport, academics, and life.

Collaborating with 100+ brands to create lasting change and transform communities worldwide

How We Help

Opening Doors Through Fencing, Education & Mentorship

01

Elite Training

Year-round instruction and coaching from Olympic-level professionals dedicated to helping athletes reach their highest potential.

02

Mentorship

Guidance from Olympians, National Team members, community leaders, and experienced professionals who help students develop leadership and life skills.

03

Academic Support

Educational resources and tutoring programs designed to ensure academic achievement matches athletic success.

04

Financial Assistance

Support that helps athletes access training, equipment, travel opportunities, and national and international competitions.

05

Wellness & Nutrition

Programs that promote healthy lifestyles, physical fitness, and overall well-being.

06

College Preparation

Resources and mentorship that help students prepare for college admissions and future success.

Why We Believe In Fencing

Lessons Beyond Competition

Confidence

Discipline

Resilience

Accountability

Leadership

Strategic Thinking

Board of Directors

Guiding The Mission

Yury Gelman

Founder

Julia Gelman

Co-Founder

Susan Kim Tsui

Volunteer Coordinator

Tatyana Barakh

Fundraising Lead

Amy Bevacqua

Community Director

Elena Savostianova

Marketing Head

A Legacy of Excellence

When you support the Yury Gelman Foundation, you’re not simply funding a sport. You’re helping young people develop the confidence, discipline, leadership, and opportunities that will shape their future.
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Olympic Achievements

Olympic & International Success

At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Yury’s students achieved historic success on the world stage:

  • Daryl Homer — Olympic Silver Medalist
  • Dagmara Wozniak — Bronze Medalist, U.S. Women’s Saber Team
  • Monica Aksamit — Bronze Medalist, U.S. Women’s Saber Team

At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Yury coached the U.S. Men’s Saber Team to a historic Olympic Silver Medal:

  • Keeth Smart
  • Tim Morehouse
  • Jason Rogers
  • James Williams

Help Continue Yury’s Mission

Your support helps talented young athletes gain access to elite coaching, mentorship, academic support, and opportunities that can shape their futures for years to come.
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Yury Gelman

Yury Gelman is a seven-time Olympic Fencing Coach for the United States (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024). In 2010 he was honored with induction into the Fencing Hall of Fame. In addition to created champions for the United States Yury has also been the Head Coach of Fencing for the Red Storm Teams at St. John’s University, since 1995. This year he was inducted into the St. John’s Hall of Fame for his success with the fencing program. Yury has dedicated his life as an educator to training and promoting the benefits that the sport can bring.

Yury has dedicated his life as an educator to training and promoting the benefits that the sport can bring. The foundation was created by Yury to offer the youth an opportunity to compete and train with some of the best fencers in the world with financial support. With your support and commitment, he can make this happen! Over the past twenty years, Yury has prepared 24 students for the United States National Team and over 10 students for the Olympic Games.

In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Yury’s students achieved:

 

  • Daryl Homer, Silver Medalist
  • Dagmara Wozniak, Bronze Medal winner U.S. Women Saber Team
  • Monica Aksamit, Bronze Medal winner U.S. Women Saber Team
In The 2008 Beijing Olympics, Yury’s students achieved mens saber team Olympic Silver Medal
  • Keeth Smart
  • Tim Morehouse
  • Jason Rogers
  • James Williams

Julia Gelman

Julia Gelman is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Manhattan Fencing Center, one of the nation’s leading fencing organizations. Since co-founding the club in 2007 alongside U.S. Fencing Hall of Fame Maestro Yury Gelman, she has helped grow the organization from a single location into a nationally recognized program serving athletes across New York and New Jersey.
 
A former competitive fencer, Julia competed for the varsity fencing team at St. John’s University, where she earned All-American honors twice, was an NCAA individual silver and bronze medalist, and won two National Championship titles. She holds a degree in Finance from St. John’s University.
 
As a member of the Board of Directors of the Yury Gelman Foundation, Julia is committed to expanding access to fencing and supporting programs that help athletes and families develop confidence, resilience, discipline, and leadership through sport.

Susan Kim Tsui

Susan Kim Tsui is a strategic business and community leader with more than 25 years of experience building brands, scaling organizations, driving growth and partnerships across the nonprofit, government, technology, and consumer sectors in the US, Korea and Singapore. 

Susan previously served as a director at the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, where she was instrumental in leading programming, membership growth, and fundraising initiatives. She co-founded the Partners for the Future Foundation, which raised over $1 million to support students and families affected by the 1997–98 financial crisis. She also served at the Canadian Embassy in Seoul where she was key in establishing the Canadian Education Center and partnerships with Samsung and MBA programs.  

In the private sector, Susan managed communications at Hewlett-Packard Asia overseeing the Asia Pacific region.  She played leadership roles in launching and scaling leading Korean beauty brands including Dr. Jart+ with Estee Lauder Ventures, AmorePacific, and Sulwhasoo in the United States, establishing K-beauty as a global consumer movement. Her work in global marketing and brand strategy has been featured in or quoted by The New York Times, The Today Show, WWD, O (Oprah) Magazine, W Korea, Forbes and Tycoon Magazine’s “Most Influential Beauty Leaders” 2024 issue.  Susan is also the founder of Norie, an award-winning clean skincare brand inspired by Korean probiotics. 

She remains passionate about leadership development, mentorship, and building bridges across cultures and generations. Susan has an MBA from Cornell’s Johnson School of Management, an MA from Yonsei University (Korea) and a BA from Western University (Canada).  

Tatyana Barakh

Tatyana Barakh spent more than 15 years at Morgan Stanley working across Private Wealth Management, Leadership Development, Program Management, and Strategic Initiatives, where she became known for building strong relationships, leading complex initiatives, and creating experiences that connected people in meaningful ways. During her time in Leadership Development, she was instrumental in helping develop and launch a national “Leader as Coach” transformation initiative focused on equipping managers with the tools to lead through trust, communication, mentorship, and human connection. That experience sparked a lasting passion for coaching and reinforced her belief that with the right guidance, support, and opportunity, people are capable of far more than they often see in themselves.

Throughout her career, Tatyana has been drawn to work centered around people, growth, and meaningful connection. Whether through leadership programming, mentorship initiatives, conference development, or collaborative projects, she has always been most energized by understanding what motivates people, how relationships shape outcomes, and how thoughtful support can create lasting impact in both professional and personal life.

With a degree in Art History, Tatyana has a longstanding passion for museums, ballet, opera, and cultural institutions. She is deeply interested in the role art and history play in shaping perspective, preserving identity, and bringing people together across generations and backgrounds.

Fluent in Russian and shaped by an international perspective, Tatyana values thoughtful conversation, continuous learning, and experiences that challenge her to see the world differently. Known for her warmth, energy, and authenticity, she genuinely enjoys connecting people, learning their stories, and building community wherever she goes.

Above all, Tatyana is a wife and mother who believes life should continue evolving through curiosity, creativity, meaningful relationships, and the willingness to keep learning at every stage.

Amy Bevacqua

Amy Bevacqua, Esq. is an accomplished attorney and executive with more than two decades of experience advising private fund managers, institutional investors, and charitable organizations across a broad spectrum of legal, financial, and corporate matters, including M&A, private fund formation, securities law, compliance, and corporate governance. A cum laude graduate of Barnard College at Columbia University and Boston University School of Law, Amy has held senior legal roles at Shearman & Sterling LLP in New York, Paris, and London — where she advised marquee clients including Morgan Stanley, Citibank, and Soros Private Equity Partners — and subsequently as Deputy General Counsel at AEA Investors LP, Associate General Counsel of New York University, and General Counsel of New Rhein Healthcare Investors. Amy has since opened her own law firm. Beyond her professional endeavors, Amy is a passionate advocate for the arts and athletics: she trained in dance at the renowned Interlochen Arts Academy, was a founding member of Columbia University’s Women’s Soccer Team, and has been an ardent supporter of USA Fencing’s sabre program since her daughter took up the sport. Her philanthropic commitments span children’s education, pediatric cancer research, women’s athletic programs, and the performing arts — causes she has championed as a mentor, donor, and nonprofit board member. Amy lives with her family in New York City and plans one day to run a farm.

Elena Savostianova

Elena Savostianova is the Founder & Managing Partner of Ember Infrastructure and is Chair of the Investment Committee.

Elena has over 20 years of professional experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Prior to Ember, Elena served as a Principal with Global Infrastructure Partners CAPS team, focusing on renewable energy opportunities. Before GIP, Elena spent nearly a decade as part of Credit Suisse’s Power and Renewables group where she was responsible for coverage of energy corporates with a focus on renewable energy and infrastructure, as well as financial sponsors active in the energy and infrastructure space.

Elena holds an M.B.A. from Yale University and a B.A. in Philosophy and Economics from Hamilton College.