Family

In this episode of Hidden Foundations, Kendall is joined by Ari Simmons, a world champion epee fencer, coach, and Olympic hopeful, to explore what elite sports really build inside a person. Ari shares how he went from being kicked out of fencing class for goofing off to becoming first in the U.S. and winning a world championship in the 17-and-under category.
The conversation moves through obsession, discipline, ego, youth sports pressure, parental support, Notre Dame, UPenn Wharton, taking a gap year to chase Rio, and why his parents never made winning the point. Ari also breaks down the mental framework he now teaches athletes: purpose, honesty, consistency, forgiveness, and learning to treat wins and losses as data. This is a conversation about fencing, family, pressure, and becoming the person behind the performance.

Chapters
00:00 Cold Open: World Champion and Olympic Pressure
00:49 Meet Ari Simmons
01:15 Becoming a World Champion in Epee
06:00 Why Fencing and the Obsession Switch
11:00 Dreaming of Greatness and Winning Worlds
19:23 Parents, Pressure, and Youth Sports
31:50 Gap Year, Rio, UPenn, and Notre Dame
45:42 Coaching, Mindset, and the Olympic Chase

Hidden Foundations is a weekly podcast hosted by entrepreneur and investor Kendall Schoenrock, examining how family systems, early adversity, and childhood dynamics quietly shape high-performing adults. Each conversation uncovers the “invisible wiring” behind resilience, ambition, leadership, and grit — told through candid stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and leaders.

Guided by the thesis that strength is forged early at home, the show uses a consistent framework to explore emotional environments, money narratives, family roles, conflict patterns, and early challenges. Every episode delivers at least one practical, repeatable insight for parents, leaders, and anyone seeking to understand how greatness is built long before it’s visible.

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Learn more or connect with Kendall:
Website: https://kendallschoenrock.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schoenrock/
SilverRock Ventures: https://silverrockventures.com/about-us/
YouTube: youtube.com/@HiddenFoundationsPod
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6VKN6BBbuVxNDl4zKh4E3O?si=0c56c9aebfaf402e
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-foundations/id1895154229

#HiddenFoundations #AriSimmons #fencing