Juan Ignacio Calderon

Biography

Juan Ignacio Calderon was named head coach of the UC San Diego fencing program in July of 2018. With 41 years of international experience across his native Spain, Germany, and the United States, Calderon has touched all aspects of fencing as a competitor, coach, referee, federation official, and tournament organizer. Calderon began collaborating with the San Diego Fencing Center in 2011, where he currently serves as Head Coach. He was the Chairman of USA Fencing's San Diego Division for two years during which he drove a 30% increase in the number of competitive fencers. In 2016, Calderon founded the Global Fencing Network, a non-profit that fosters collaboration between fencing clubs, which currently includes 200 clubs enrolled across 40 countries. Between 1982 and 1991, Calderon coached in Spain at Club de Esgrima de Madrid and Sala de Armas de Madrid, considered the top club in the country. He was also a World Cup referee and the head of the Madrid Fencing Federation's referee commission for two years. As a competitive fencer in Spain, Calderon was a two-time National Junior Team champion and the Spanish Military champion. At the Senior level, he was ranked among the top-10 for four-straight years. Calderon also held several executive positions at a large technology company over a 20-year span before deciding to focus on fencing full-time. A 1992 graduate of the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Calderon earned a degree in marketing and business administration.

Career Path