How Cuban-Born, Barefoot-Trained Fencer Yeisser Ramirez Became a U.S. Olympian

The 34-year-old Yeisser Ramirez learned to fence épée barefoot in Guantanamo Bay before immigrating to the U.S. Now, he's competing for Team USA in Tokyo.

Stephanie Apstein | Jul 29, 2021

How Cuban-Born, Barefoot-Trained Fencer Yeisser Ramirez Became a U.S. Olympian /

Published Jul 29, 2021

STEPHANIE APSTEIN

Stephanie Apstein is a senior writer covering baseball and Olympic sports for Sports Illustrated, where she started as an intern in 2011. She has covered 10 World Series and three Olympics, and is a frequent contributor to SportsNet New York's Baseball Night in New York. Apstein has twice won top honors from the Associated Press Sports Editors, and her work has been included in the Best American Sports Writing book series. A member of the Baseball Writers Association of America who serves as its New York chapter vice chair, she graduated from Trinity College with a bachelor's in French and Italian, and has a master's in journalism from Columbia University.