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From Met Gala to mainstream: Chamley-Watson's vision for fencing
American Olympic fencer Miles Chamley-Watson is set to launch the World Fencing League this weekend, aiming to transform the sport's niche reputation into global appeal. The 36-year-old, who won team bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics and became the first American male to claim an individual foil world title in 2013, has spent years navigating two distinct worlds: elite athletics and high-profile celebrity circles.
A chance encounter with stardom
Chamley-Watson's journey into the spotlight began at the 2015 Met Gala, where he found himself seated between pop icons Madonna and Rihanna. Also at the table was seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, who has since become his "best friend."
"I was like: 'Wow, what am I doing here?' It was wild-I'd watched these people and grown up listening to them, and I was at the same table. You realize everybody here is the best at what they do."
Miles Chamley-Watson
The London-born athlete, who relocated to New York at age nine, admits the experience was surreal. "I was probably the one person at the table where everyone was like: 'Who the hell is this blonde, 6ft 5in guy that fences?' After that, things changed for me."
From ADHD struggles to Olympic success
Chamley-Watson's path to fencing was unconventional. Diagnosed with severe ADHD and expelled from multiple schools, he was granted a scholarship to a Manhattan private school on the condition he join a sport. He chose fencing, drawn to its sword-fighting allure. "I was like: 'Sick, this is the coolest sport there is,'" he recalls, his English accent still noticeable decades later.
Despite early struggles with feeling out of place-citing racism in the sport from age 14-he found success, rising to become one of the world's top fencers. "Once I started winning, it didn't really matter where I came from. You put your mask on and we're all the same."
World Fencing League: A bold experiment
The inaugural World Fencing League event kicks off Saturday in Los Angeles, featuring 12 of the sport's top athletes competing in two teams for a $100,000 prize-a rarity in a discipline often lacking professional infrastructure. Chamley-Watson's goal is to make fencing "shorter, easier to understand, and more visually appealing" through modified scoring and AI-powered blade-tracking technology.
Not all traditionalists are on board. "Unfortunately, you do have to ruffle some feathers to really make a massive change in the sport," he acknowledges. High-profile supporters, including Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, have promoted the event on social media, with VIPs expected to attend.
Hamilton's unwavering support
Chamley-Watson describes Hamilton as a "brother," and the F1 star's attendance at the league launch seems assured. "He's my best friend, so what would a best friend do? When you have someone like that, any time you're not working you'll support each other." With no F1 race scheduled for the weekend, Hamilton's presence appears likely.
A sport on the brink of transformation
Beyond competition, Chamley-Watson hopes the league will inspire diversity in fencing. "I want boys, girls, brown, black, anyone from all walks of life to see this and think, 'I can do that too.'"
With his Nike trainer collaboration, luxury brand partnerships, and 450,000 Instagram followers, Chamley-Watson has already expanded fencing's reach. Now, he's betting the World Fencing League can make the sport as glamorous as the circles he's come to inhabit.
