Matawan's Monica Aksamit Talks About Returning Home from the Olympics, With a Medal

Matawan, NJ - “All the hard work you put into the sport -- no one understands how much you put into it unless you’re an Olympic athlete -- and now everything you’ve done has paid off."

That's what Monmouth County's own Monica Aksamit told the Asbury Park Press in an full interview she gave upon her return home from the 2016 Summer Olympics, third-place bronze medal in hand. Aksamit, 26, is about as home-grown Olympian as it gets: She lives in Morganville, grew up in Matawan and graduated from Matawan High School and has been coaching fencing for several years at St. John Vianney High School in Holmdel. She also coaches at the American Institute of Fencing in Eatontown.

In fact, fresh off her bronze medal win, it's back to work as usual this week for Aksamit, where she's coaching a kids' fencing camp at SJV, which runs from Monday-Thursday of this week.

And yes -- campers were just a little bit starstruck when she brought her medal in Monday to show them: “They were all so shy,” Aksamit said. “I’m like, ‘You guys know me. There’s literally nothing different. All I have is a medal.’”

Still, getting fencing recognized on a national level will take work, she admits. Matawan High School, like most Shore Conference schools, does not offer fencing. She learned on the club circuit. And the endorsements pale in comparison to what swimmers and runners get. She supports herself by coaching and doing modeling on the side, and commutes to train in New York City.

“It’s tough to support yourself just fencing,” she said. “I keep trying to get NJ Transit to hook me up with a discount. They’re not having it.”

“When I started fencing, nobody knew what fencing was,” Aksamit told the APP. “It wasn’t a joke -- they actually thought I built fences. Now people have actually seen it. That’s amazing, not having to explain what fencing is.”

“To say we’re proud of her is an understatement,” Mac Shaker, her assistant coach at St. John Vianney and a 1992 Olympic fencer, told the APP. “She was ranked No. 5 in the country for the past two years and needed to be in the top four for the Olympics. She had to struggle for the points all the way to the very last tournament. When you’re the underdog for two years, it takes a toll on you. She put her heart and soul into it.”

Team USA/Official photo