Cody Mattern    (Tigard, OR)

Event: Men’s Epee
Hometown: Tigard, Ore.
Height: 6-4
Weight: 195
Birthdate: February 23, 1981 (Reno, Nev.)
School: Homeschooled
Coach: Michael Marx, Gia Abashidze
Club: NorthWest Fencing Center

Career Highlights:
Silver, Senior “A” World Cup, Vancouver, Canada, March 2004.
2001 U.S. National Champion
8th, Senior “A” World Cup, Carolina, Puerto Rico, June 2003.

Currently Ranked: No. 2 in U.S. Men’s Epee standings.

On Athens: “My goals are to keep working, prepare physically, be ready, and with the result in Vancouver, I really think that my goal should be a medal.”

How I Started Fencing: “My friend high school Alan Sheler got me interested in the sport. Two months later he quit but I was hooked.”

“Fencing is both physically and mentally demanding. It’s also an individual sport, so you control your destiny. To me, it’s a ‘no excuse’ sport.”

Finest Moment: Cody recently beat five of the top ten fencers in the world to win the silver at a World Cup in Vancouver, Canada and also played a vital role in the team’s 9th place finish, securing a spot for the U.S.’s epee squad in Athens.

“I was less critical of myself, confident in what I could do. After winning a couple of bouts, I relaxed into it, I fenced like I do all the time at the club. And by the end of the day, instead of being dead sore like I usually am, I felt totally fresh and I fenced the way I wanted to.”

Did You Know?
Cody recently began trading fencing lessons for piano lessons from a student of his. His goal is to play his favorite classical music.

Cody also is a carpenter, and was hired as a contractor to manage the construction of his club, the NorthWest Fencing Center.

But Cody’s real full time job is as a fencing instructor at NorthWest. “I like how just like with carpentry, you can change your environment… you can see how you can contribute to the kids in such a positive way, and see them grow.”