Massialas Fencing Academy celebrating Olympic Day with Free Clinic

Event one of more than 2000 nationwide events celebrating the birth of the modern Olympic Games

SAN FRANCISCO, CA. – The spirit of the Olympic Movement will roll into San Francisco as The Massialas Fencing Academy in San Francisco hosts a free fencing clinic and demonstration in celebration of Olympic Day.

The Fencing clinic will take place from 3:00pm to 4:30pm on June 18 at The Fencing Academy. Three Time Olympian and current Olympic National Coach Greg Massialas will kick off the event by sharing stories of his Olympic Games' experience, followed by fencing demonstrations and photo opportunities.

'This is the 12th year that we have been part of Olympic Day in the San Francisco Bay Area', Greg Massialas explains, 'This year we are fortunate to have USA Olympians who competed in London, (including my son Alexander) and who are now on their way to Rio 2016.

Anne Warner Cribbs, 1960 Olympian and Bay Area Sports Organizing President adds 'Alexander's journey is the story of Olympic Dreams. Alex learned about the Olympic Games from his father, Greg. In addition, during BASOC's Olympic Bid efforts in 2002, Alexander was 7 years old. Now Alexander is ranked 1nd in the world in foil fencing – demonstrating the power of the Olympic Games to inspire youth.'

The fencing activity is one of nearly 2000 events taking place nationwide between June 1 and July 1. The events, designed to engage youth and promote the ideals of the Olympic movement, feature athlete appearances, family-friendly activities and interactive learning experiences.

Around the world, more than 160 countries take part in the annual celebration. Olympic Day, created in 1948 to commemorate the birth of the modern Olympic Games, focuses on the Olympic values and ideals such as fair play, perseverance, respect and sportsmanship. In the U.S., Olympic Day events range from small gatherings to large, city-wide events.

For more information about the Olympic Day activities, please contact Anne Warner Cribbs at 650.323.9400 or email at

For more information on Olympic Day celebrations in the U.S. or to find an event, visit TeamUSA.org/OlympicDay, email OlympicDay@usoc.org, or follow and join the social conversation using the #OlympicDay hashtag. Additional Olympic Day resources can be found on the International Olympic Committee's website, Olympic.org/OlympicDay.

In the spirit of Olympic Day, Team USA fans are also encouraged to visit the Team USA Registry, an innovative fundraising program that was recently launched by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Foundation (USOPF) to support its annual fund (the Team USA Fund). At the core of the new campaign is a website that invites donors to choose a meaningful, symbolic gift – such as running shoes or an international plane ticket – in support of U.S. Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls. Through these efforts, the USOPF hopes to bridge the gap Team USA athletes face between their average incomes and training expenses that far exceed that total.