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How Cuban-Born, Barefoot-Trained Fencer Yeisser Ramirez Became a U.S. Olympian

The 34-year-old Yeisser Ramirez learned to fence épée barefoot in Guantanamo Bay before immigrating to the U.S. Now, he's competing for Team USA in Tokyo.
Stephanie Apstein|
How Cuban-Born, Barefoot-Trained Fencer Yeisser Ramirez Became a U.S. Olympian
How Cuban-Born, Barefoot-Trained Fencer Yeisser Ramirez Became a U.S. Olympian

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Stephanie Apstein
STEPHANIE APSTEIN

Stephanie Apstein is a senior writer covering baseball and Olympic sports for Sports Illustrated, where she started as an intern in 2011 and has since covered a dozen World Series and three Olympics. She has twice won top honors from the Associated Press Sports Editors, and her work has been included in the Best American Sports Writing book series. She graduated from Trinity College with a bachelor’s in French and Italian, and has a master’s in journalism from Columbia University.

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