When I started competing nationally, there was a lot of new, overwhelming, confusing pieces to it. But even in the first few years I started recognizing the people who showed up again and again, and at the top of that list were the referees.

Some of my earliest memories of national competitions were of this man, with an easy laugh so deep it felt like a gruff mountain was sharing a joke with you. It’s amazing how much it helps, as a young, nervous fencer, to see a friendly face and hear that laugh, reassuring me that, despite all the nerves and so on, it was probably going to be okay.

I wasn’t the only one to see Gamal Mamoud that way—he supported countless fencers in many different ways throughout his time as a referee and coach, and we collectively mourn his recent death, while sharing a loving memory.

I hope that you and your fencers may have such a kind and supportive figure in your journey.