Experience Fencing
Ziemek Wojciechowski Biography
Ziemek Wojciechowski was born in Poland and is a former Polish International and Olympic fencer. As a competitive fencer in the Polish team, Ziemek won several World Cups and the Polish National Championships three times. He was in the six man squad that won Gold at the Munich Olympics and was given a Trabant car by the Communist regime for subsequently coming fifth in the individual competition in the Montreal Games four years later!
He has won Gold in the World Professional Championships, Silver in the World Championships and in a one-off return to competition in 2003 became the European Champion in the Veteran age category.
He has won over forty other major medals in a career that has included seven Olympics, first as a competitor and then, after his defection to the UK in 1978 as the coach of the British Olympic team. In 1985 he established the first national series of competitions for children in the UK, thereby laying the foundations for the growth and success of fencing across the country.
Ziemek is the Maitre d’Armes at the Lansdowne Club in Mayfair and has produced the British Senior Team Champions in women’s foil for the last six consecutive years and three of the last four men’s team champions. Former pupils include World medallists and Olympic finalists. Currently, he trains Britain’s no. 1 foilists: former Under-20 World No 2 Camille Datoo and former Under-20 European Champion and Olympic finalist Richard Kruse.
Ziemek offers private coaching to individuals and groups around the country. He works with fencers of all ability—including beginners—and his pupils have included film stars such as Ewan McGregor, Christophe Lambert, Polly Walker and James Bond double Steven Paul.
TV appearances include numerous national and local news programmes (over a period of 24 years) and most recently in ‘Who Would Hire You?’ (BBC), and as the Master in the 2004 top 10 single ‘You Stood Up’ for boyband V. He is the author of ‘Theory, Methods and Exercises in Fencing’ and has been the subject of many features in publications including: The Daily Telegraph, The Times, Weekend FT Magazine ‘How to Spend It’, Men’s Fitness, Red.