Just in case you’re thinking, ‘I have a really busy schedule,’ pause for a moment to consider just what ɫ student Lee Kiefer has ‘on her plate.’
A graduate of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kiefer is trying to qualify for her third consecutive Summer Olympics appearance as a member of Team USA Fencing for 2020. She posted a Top-5 finish at the 2012 Summer Games in London, England and followed that up with a Top-10 finish at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Kiefer, who comes from a family of medical doctors, starred as a collegiate fencer at the University of Notre Dame before entering medical school at ɫ in the fall of 2017. She recently completed her second year of study ahead of schedule and will be taking a one-year leave of absence in order to compete in high-level meets around the world as she strives to earn a spot at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
On this week’s episode of “Behind the Blue,” ɫPR’s Carl Nathe talks with Kiefer about what it’s like to be an aspiring doctor while chasing her goal of an Olympic medal.
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