Mike Pederson

A fencer from the age of 15, Mike Pederson has taken his passion for sports, excellence, and teamwork to the highest levels. Mike has coached National Teams from Canada and the USA at senior and junior world championships, at the Olympics and at international competitions around the globe. In 2007, in recognition of his excellence, the US Fencing Association honored him as Fencing Coach of the Year. 

In 2008, he coached the USA Olympic women’s foil team to a silver medal – the first medal for women’s foil team in USA fencing history and in doing so became the first US born fencing coach to coach a USA team to a medal at the Olympics. 

In 2009 in Belfast, Mike coached the USA junior Under 20 world team to another historic team gold medal in the Junior World Championships. 

Mike’s personal athletes have won US national championships in most age category events, NCAA championships, and have represented the USA and Canada at the world championships and the Olympics. 

In 2014, coach Paul Apsimon, the Canadian WF team coach, approached Mike to work with them to help achieve their goal of becoming a rising power in women’s foil. During the time that Mike has worked with the women’s foil team and their coach Paul Apsimon, the Canadian Women’s Foil Team has achieved their best world ranking, placed 5th in team at the Tokyo Olympics, won 4 junior and cadet world championship individual medals, and 2 senior world cup medals. 

Mike is an owner and coach at Golden Gate Fencing Center in San Francisco where he coaches all ages of athletes from 4 years old to 75 years old. His club motto is “Champions in sport – Champions in life” and his background and experience of over 30 years of coaching at every level from grassroots to the Olympics has given him a rare insight and perspective on what it takes to make a champion in sport and in life.