IMBODEN Race

General
PROTEST PROBATION
In August 2019 he was placed on 12-month probation by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee after he took a knee on the medal podium during the ceremony for the team foil event at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. "The reason that I knelt at an international competition is because the country that I represent doesn't reflect me anymore. It doesn't reflect the people within it and, as a person who is not of colour, not affected by gun violence or necessarily dealing with immigration right now, it's important for me to have a voice and support those people." In August 2020 he joined a protests and demonstrations steering committee that comprised of 44 US athletes lobbying for a change to the Olympic Charter's stance on protests and demonstrations made by athletes at Olympic Games sites. He also serves on the council of Everytown, an anti-gun violence organisation, and has participated in protests against gun violence. (theguardian.com, 01 Sep 2020; olympics.nbcsports.com, 28 Aug 2020; fashionweekdaily.com, 10 Apr 2020; bbc.co.uk, 22 Aug 2019; Twitter profile, 10 Aug 2019)

FENCING COUPLE
He met his partner, French fencer Ysaora Thibus, at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She moved to the United States of America to live with him in 2017. "If he [Race] offers me advice, I am always ready to listen. After all he is world number one [in May 2019] so I imagine his advice is not bad. In general we make a good couple, in sport and in life." (rtl.fr, 09 May 2019)

FUTURE PLANS
After he retires from fencing, he hopes to work with underprivileged children interested in fencing, and pursue his love for the arts. "One of the big things I want to do is start a foundation to help kids fence who aren't from affluent backgrounds. I want to get more into the arts. It's something I've always been passionate about. I'm very interested in acting and being behind the camera." (fashionweekdaily.com, 10 Apr 2020)

LEAVING UNIVERSITY
In 2012 he accepted a scholarship to study at St John's University in New York, NY, United States of America. He decided to drop out in 2013 to focus on fencing and his modelling career, as National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] eligibility rules meant he was unable to receive payment for work as an amateur athlete. "Given the time and energy necessary to pursue modelling work, I couldn't afford to do it unpaid. So I swallowed hard and accepted my reality. I wanted to fence, build my modelling career and earn an education. To remain an amateur, I had to choose two out of three. I didn't have a choice. Fencing was my life. Modelling was my livelihood." (latimes.com, 24 Jun 2018; theplayerstribune.com, 14 May 2015; redstormsports.com, 11 Dec 2012)

WHAT'S IN A NAME
His parents chose his given name based on the character Race Bannon from the 'Jonny Quest' cartoon. (sports.yahoo.com, 26 Jul 2012)

In the 2014/15 season he became the first US male athlete to win an overall World Cup title in fencing. (teamusa.org, 05 Aug 2015)