A Bethesda, Maryland, college student is competing for a spot to fence with Team USA in the 2028 Olympics.

But Lev BenAvram hit a speed bump earlier this year.

The college student was heading to a fencing tournament in Tunisia when he said Air France lost his luggage, which had his sabers, his protective gear and the rest of his belongings inside.

“It really had a deeper impact than just losing a regular bag,” BenAvram said. “When I get there to compete, I have to borrow stuff from friends and it really just isn’t the same — both from a standpoint of using not my own equipment, but also from the mental stress of having lost my stuff right before a tournament.”

The gear alone cost around $2,700, not counting all the clothing lost on top of that.

BenAvram said that what happened then co

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