A fencer who has been living and training in Santa Barbara will compete for Team USA at the Olympics

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Anna Van Brummen considered leaving the sport of fencing several years ago but now she will compete for Team USA in the Olympics.

The 26-year old is a replacement athlete meaning that she will compete in the team Epee event but not individually.

Van Brummen is optimistic that the team will bring back a medal from Tokyo.

"Two years ago the team won World Championships and this season we have come in third twice, so there is a very good chance that we can come home with a medal and that is what we are aiming for," she said.

Van Brummen took a brief break from fencing after she failed to qualify for the 2016 Olympics.

However she realized that she loved the sport but had to stop putting so much pressure on herself.

She followed her worst year of competition with an incredible performance in 2016.

Van Brummen won gold at the Suzhou World Cup becoming the only modern U.S. women to win first place in Epee at a World Cup.

Epee fencing allows for full body contact compared to foil and sabre fencing.

In 2017 she won the individual NCAA Epee as a senior at Princeton.

Following Princeton Van Brummen earned her master's degree in geophysics at ETH Zurich.

She and her boyfriend moved to Santa Barbara and Van Brummen works as an environmental consultant for the company Blue Tomorrow.

She has been training at Presidio Fencing Club and has a coach in Los Angeles as well.

Fencing since she was eight years old, Van Brummen is now a first-time Olympian.

"It feels amazing," said Van Brummen.