Cambridge fencing phenom Natalya Cafasso finished the international competition season on an all-time high, earning multiple medals at the April 2026 International Fencing Federation Junior & Cadet World Fencing Championships in Rio de Janeiro. She won second place in the cadet (under-17) event and earned a top eight finish in the junior (under-20) event, which gave her a final world ranking of number three for junior women’s épée. Capping off the junior season, Cafasso also was part of the United States junior team’s third-place finish.
Cafasso said the World Championships presented some unexpected challenges: extreme heat and humidity in Brazil as well as an abrupt change in venues when a building burned down on the eve of the tournament.
Taking challenges both on-strip and off-strip head-on made it an even bigger reward for being ranked third in the world for junior women’s épée.
“I’m definitely very happy with my placing, and I think that I’m glad I’ve gotten more established into the fencing world,” she said.
She knows, though, that next season will bring higher-caliber competition. She’s turning 17 this year and can no longer compete in cadet competitions. “It does put a little bit of pressure for next year to stay to those same standards because I have to maintain the points that I get this year. It’s going to be a lot more difficult with my expectations,” Cafasso said.
She got a taste of her longer-term future this spring as well, competing for the first time in the senior international circuit at the Budapest FIE Grand Prix April 17-19 and the Colombia Grand Prix in Medellin May 9-10. Most of the fencers are adults who have competed for years, some at the Olympic Games. Cafasso said she struggled more than she would have liked in the senior competitions, but if she’s going to make the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, she needs the exposure to more adaptable and patient fencers.
“The senior fencing style is super different from juniors or cadets; it’s the biggest jump from tactics and the way they approach the matches,” Cafasso said. “My hopes are very high, and I’m just trying to stay on my schedule. I’m not trying to think about [the Olympics] too much, because I know that can get in my head very fast and put pressure on me, so I’m trying to just fence in every competition.
Natalya’s father, Martin Cafasso, echoed Natalya’s point about focus, but also said he had to help her find balance.
“I need to be a cheerleader, I need to be a manager, I need to be a protector. I’m trying to find ways that she can stay a kid and have a normal life . . . and still be able to compete around the world,” he said.
She’s finishing her sophomore year at Cambridge Rindge and Latin while also preparing for the U.S. National Championships in Portland, Ore., in July. She practices most days as well as doing intensive summer camps with her club, Olympia Fencing Center.
After the National Championships, Cafasso will get a break from competition until the international and domestic circuits begin again in October. She is also thinking about college recruitment as she enters her junior year of high school, which will occupy much of her time over the summer.
Cafasso is looking forward to the July and August break as a time for recovery and refocus ahead of a busy and important competition season. She noted that mental strength particularly matters to ensure she is ready for the fall.
“Within the summer, I’m excited to have a little bit of a break from training every single day” to help avoid burnout, Cafasso said. “I think that would be very helpful for me to recuperate and come back the next season even stronger.”
A stronger
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