Two weeks ago was my last tourney for the 2011-2012 fencing season. This season was a very good one for me I learned a lot my fencing improved tremendously and I came home with medals from every event. Its been a long two years at the sport but the hard work and the suppourt from all my family, friends and cookie fiends is paying huge dividends, both on the fencing strip and personally. I've said it time and time again but thank you all for your suppourt, I could have done none of this without your suppourt. Next seasons schedule will be released next week I already know when the events are, just not sure on the where. You know you'll hear all about the when and get plenty of cookie specials just in time!
Lots of things are in motion with my fencing career and my team Captain and coach are planning some cool things for me this season. Its even rumored that I'll be taking a trip or two across the pond.
In a few weeks time the worlds best will be gathering in London for the 2012 Olympic games, I will be watching with the rest of the world as athletes come together on the world stage to compete. Unlike most of the world I will also be watching two weeks following the Olympic games when the Paralympics are going on. While the para's I will be continuing working towards my goal of making the 2016 Paralympics. Its going to take lots of work lots of suppourt and lots of cookies to make this goal a reality but I'm not afraid of a little hard work. I cant say it enough but thank you all for your suppourt in this adventure of mine. Helping me make my dream come true.. One dozen and five miles at a time
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Stuff stuff and more stuff
The last few months have been busy, stressful, and at times very frustrating for me, between fencing, keeping the cookies rolling and some major family issues and personal I have not been my usual chatty self. I am happy to say that I'm finally pulling myself up by the boot straps and starting to get back to my old self.
First the family stuff
In November a family member was diagnosed with lung cancer and had to have three lobes of her lung removed. During the process of diagnosing lung cancer questionable growths were found on this family members remaining kidney, yes you read that correctly her remaining kidney, she had lost the other one due to cancer 8 years ago. In late February The doctors decided that best course of action would be to cut out the suspicious growths. information has been hard to come by during this whole ordeal and the stress level has been understandably high, particularly after the order was handed down that a visiting the hospital was forbidden even after a plane ticket and hotel room were purchased. Things have improved in the last week but its still not a great situation.
Now the personal stuff.
In January I started down a path of reflection, I have made mistakes in my life and done some things that I am not proud of, an email was received that reminded me of these past behaviors but I can honestly say that I am not the same person I was when these transgressions occurred, oddly the reason for the growth is the discovery and involvement in fencing. Fencing has provided me with a reason to get my butt out of bed, something to focus my energies on and at times it provides great stress relief. All I can say in light of this reminder of where I have come from is that I am sorry to those I have hurt and do what I can to eradicate those behaviors from my character, learn from my mistakes, and move forward
Finally the fencing stuff
In December I had my first tournament of the domestic season in Kansas City where I had my best finish of my career to that point 7th in both epee and foil. In February I took a weekend trip to Tampa Florida where my team and I put on a wheelchair fencing demo for a group of enthusiastic kids to get them interested in the sport that I have come to love. In March in the mist of the Miami Drama I had my 2nd tournament of the domestic season where I took 8th in epee and once again 7th in foil, I was not my best tournament but I did place and I learned quite a bit. I can live with that. A few weeks ago I finished my domestic season in Virgina Beach where I finished 8th in epee and 6th in foil. I seemed to have found my weapon in foil. So much so that coach is telling me to get ready for an international event...after the paralympics in September. Its going to be a hectic few months fencing wise.
Time to rebuild refocus and build my life, my fencing career and my cookie biz
First the family stuff
In November a family member was diagnosed with lung cancer and had to have three lobes of her lung removed. During the process of diagnosing lung cancer questionable growths were found on this family members remaining kidney, yes you read that correctly her remaining kidney, she had lost the other one due to cancer 8 years ago. In late February The doctors decided that best course of action would be to cut out the suspicious growths. information has been hard to come by during this whole ordeal and the stress level has been understandably high, particularly after the order was handed down that a visiting the hospital was forbidden even after a plane ticket and hotel room were purchased. Things have improved in the last week but its still not a great situation.
Now the personal stuff.
In January I started down a path of reflection, I have made mistakes in my life and done some things that I am not proud of, an email was received that reminded me of these past behaviors but I can honestly say that I am not the same person I was when these transgressions occurred, oddly the reason for the growth is the discovery and involvement in fencing. Fencing has provided me with a reason to get my butt out of bed, something to focus my energies on and at times it provides great stress relief. All I can say in light of this reminder of where I have come from is that I am sorry to those I have hurt and do what I can to eradicate those behaviors from my character, learn from my mistakes, and move forward
Finally the fencing stuff
In December I had my first tournament of the domestic season in Kansas City where I had my best finish of my career to that point 7th in both epee and foil. In February I took a weekend trip to Tampa Florida where my team and I put on a wheelchair fencing demo for a group of enthusiastic kids to get them interested in the sport that I have come to love. In March in the mist of the Miami Drama I had my 2nd tournament of the domestic season where I took 8th in epee and once again 7th in foil, I was not my best tournament but I did place and I learned quite a bit. I can live with that. A few weeks ago I finished my domestic season in Virgina Beach where I finished 8th in epee and 6th in foil. I seemed to have found my weapon in foil. So much so that coach is telling me to get ready for an international event...after the paralympics in September. Its going to be a hectic few months fencing wise.
Time to rebuild refocus and build my life, my fencing career and my cookie biz
Friday, March 2, 2012
What puts the wheels in Wheeling Chef?
Yesterday it came to my attention that March is Cerebral Palsy awareness month. Cerebral palsy is the name given to a group of disorders that impact muscle coordination and is characterized by;
I was born with moderate spastic cerebral palsy that affects my legs and my hands to a slight degree. It may seem strange that a person with a condition that affects my hands would choose a culinary career, but the involvement in my hands is slight but my condition does sometimes cause me to come up with creative solutions turning difficulties into challenges to be overcome and adapted too not seen as barriers that cause me to throw my hands up and surrender!
I have been asked if I would take accept a cure to my disability if it were offered. No I would not, I don't suffer from my disability, I am grateful for it. I have done more because of my disability then many of my non disabled friends. I run my own business, I am able to participate in a sport that I love That is not to say that life isn't frustrating at times but who can honestly that they don't get frustrated at times?
I was dealt a hand in life that includes a condition that makes life interesting, and requires me to improvise and adapt to make things work for me, but that makes life fun.
Some of you may have questions about cerebral palsy. I am no medical expert but I live with it everyday so feel free to ask me any question you may have. I will answer them as best I can.
And now you know a little more about your favorite wheelchair fencing cookie baker and how I roll!
Now its time to get back in the kitchen and make some cookies, The Cincinnati tournament is in two weeks!
- Muscle tightness or spasm
- Involuntary movement
- Disturbance in gait and mobility
- Abnormal sensation and perception
- Impairment of sight, hearing or speech
- Seizures
I was born with moderate spastic cerebral palsy that affects my legs and my hands to a slight degree. It may seem strange that a person with a condition that affects my hands would choose a culinary career, but the involvement in my hands is slight but my condition does sometimes cause me to come up with creative solutions turning difficulties into challenges to be overcome and adapted too not seen as barriers that cause me to throw my hands up and surrender!
I have been asked if I would take accept a cure to my disability if it were offered. No I would not, I don't suffer from my disability, I am grateful for it. I have done more because of my disability then many of my non disabled friends. I run my own business, I am able to participate in a sport that I love That is not to say that life isn't frustrating at times but who can honestly that they don't get frustrated at times?
I was dealt a hand in life that includes a condition that makes life interesting, and requires me to improvise and adapt to make things work for me, but that makes life fun.
Some of you may have questions about cerebral palsy. I am no medical expert but I live with it everyday so feel free to ask me any question you may have. I will answer them as best I can.
Now its time to get back in the kitchen and make some cookies, The Cincinnati tournament is in two weeks!
Monday, January 30, 2012
2 years already?
Saturday marked my second year as a wheelchair fencer all in all this year was a positive one, that’s not to say I didn't have set backs, there were moments when I asked myself “what the heck was I thinking” When I attended that first practice I had no idea what I was doing nor what I was getting myself into. There were many times in that first year when I seriously contemplated quitting fencing, especially when the costs started adding up. During that first year I kept at it getting stronger and learning all I could, fortunately I also struck on the idea of making cookies to support my fencing habit, and not just any cookies, shortbreads, a rather obscure cookie style to support a passion for an obscure sport, a rather unknown version of that sport at that.
This last year in fencing I continued to develop and managed to win my first medals. Cookie sales were a great help with gear, registration fees, food and the most important thing. Coffee! Each year on my “fencing birthday” I set goals for the next year, this year I want to continue as I have over the last two years continue collecting medals and keep finishing higher each time I compete.
My next tournament is in March over St Patrick’s day weekend with luck and your support I can hoist a Guinness in celebration of new medals and a great finish.
Again I want to thank you all for joining me on this adventure, purchasing my cookies and standing in my corner while I compete, train and build my cookie business from an experiment into something that will not only support my fencing dream but will help others reach a measure of financial freedom (as outlined in Where do I go from here?)
So here I go embarking on another year as a fencer, the hours of training, the miles put on my tires, the frustrations when practices get tough. Another year slinging cookies to suppourt my passion and my dream, full of highs and lows, but I wouldn't have it any other way!
Friday, January 6, 2012
I challange you to a dual..
Dear Walkers Shortbreads.
I am a small shortbread cookie baker who sells his cookies to support a his dream. It is my belief that your popularity is based purely on a large marketing budget and Christmas tins shaped in the image of a tin highlander. I am also a fencer and as dueling has gone out of style I have chosen this medium to call you out as it were. I challenge Walker Shortbreads to a taste test, my traditional versus yours. You may choose the when an where as you are the challenged party. I anxiously await your response and will interpret you silence on this matter as an acquiescence on your part that my hand crafted shortbreads are superior to your mass produced... cookies.
Respectfully
Richard Zengler
aka the Wheeling chef
I am a small shortbread cookie baker who sells his cookies to support a his dream. It is my belief that your popularity is based purely on a large marketing budget and Christmas tins shaped in the image of a tin highlander. I am also a fencer and as dueling has gone out of style I have chosen this medium to call you out as it were. I challenge Walker Shortbreads to a taste test, my traditional versus yours. You may choose the when an where as you are the challenged party. I anxiously await your response and will interpret you silence on this matter as an acquiescence on your part that my hand crafted shortbreads are superior to your mass produced... cookies.
Respectfully
Richard Zengler
aka the Wheeling chef
National Shortbread Day
Its National Shortbread cookie day so I figured it was time I should share just how this whole cookie experiment came to be. It amazes me how a simple idea can turn into something worth while. About 5 years ago I was at a Renaissance festival when I saw a vendor selling welsh cookies and making a killing at it. I filed that away for later reference. A few months later I was still looking for a job and trying to find a way to make ends meet. Then I remembered the guy selling cookies and wondered if I could do something similar.
I picked up some old cookbooks and found a basic shortbread cookie recipe. To this point I had done very little baking, in school my major was culinary management and they sorta skipped over the whole baking thing for us. I had made simple doughs before so I figured I would be able to make a simple butter cookie. After some experimentation and some frustration, OK lots of frustration I came up with a cookie recipe and a product to offer the shortbread deprived public.
I had a product and I managed to find a few craft fairs that welcomed me and my cookies, but they didn't sell as well as I had hoped. Before I could go back to the drawing board, life took a different path and I found myself in Atlanta. Wheeling Chef took a backseat for a while while I adjusted and rebuilt my life. It was during this hiatus that I found myself getting involved with wheelchair fencing.
I knew early on in my fencing experience that I wanted to do more then just work out I wanted to compete nationally and eventually internationally, with the ultimate goal of making the Paralympic
team. This dream would take hard work and a good bit of money. It was time to relaunch wheeling chef.
I revamped my cookie recipe and was off and rolling. Thanks to twitter and a few lucky breaks wheeling chef started to get sales and some marketing exposure. Those first sales helped cover the entry fee for my 2nd national. I couldn't believe that such a simple idea was paying off. I continued to sell cookies and train and started to see the benefits of both Cookie sales have helped me purchase new weapons a new uniform a new mask and have covered my entry fees to 5 tournaments. More important then all of that I'm having fun in this whole adventure!
Cookies have certainly helped financially but I have also met some very cool and supportive people because of my cookie experiment. You all have kept me going when sales have slowed and fencing gets frustrating, and I appreciate it. In celebration of National Shortbread Day and in gratitude for your support I'd like to offer a blog reader coupon. 20% off your entire order between today and 1/10/2012 when you include the word Foil in your order! Thank you again and Happy Shortbread Day
I picked up some old cookbooks and found a basic shortbread cookie recipe. To this point I had done very little baking, in school my major was culinary management and they sorta skipped over the whole baking thing for us. I had made simple doughs before so I figured I would be able to make a simple butter cookie. After some experimentation and some frustration, OK lots of frustration I came up with a cookie recipe and a product to offer the shortbread deprived public.
I had a product and I managed to find a few craft fairs that welcomed me and my cookies, but they didn't sell as well as I had hoped. Before I could go back to the drawing board, life took a different path and I found myself in Atlanta. Wheeling Chef took a backseat for a while while I adjusted and rebuilt my life. It was during this hiatus that I found myself getting involved with wheelchair fencing.
I knew early on in my fencing experience that I wanted to do more then just work out I wanted to compete nationally and eventually internationally, with the ultimate goal of making the Paralympic
team. This dream would take hard work and a good bit of money. It was time to relaunch wheeling chef.
I revamped my cookie recipe and was off and rolling. Thanks to twitter and a few lucky breaks wheeling chef started to get sales and some marketing exposure. Those first sales helped cover the entry fee for my 2nd national. I couldn't believe that such a simple idea was paying off. I continued to sell cookies and train and started to see the benefits of both Cookie sales have helped me purchase new weapons a new uniform a new mask and have covered my entry fees to 5 tournaments. More important then all of that I'm having fun in this whole adventure!
Cookies have certainly helped financially but I have also met some very cool and supportive people because of my cookie experiment. You all have kept me going when sales have slowed and fencing gets frustrating, and I appreciate it. In celebration of National Shortbread Day and in gratitude for your support I'd like to offer a blog reader coupon. 20% off your entire order between today and 1/10/2012 when you include the word Foil in your order! Thank you again and Happy Shortbread Day
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Turning the page
New Years is a few days away so now seems an appropriate time to wrap up what happened this year, and set my goals for next year. A virtual Board of Directors meeting if you will, and since my social media followers and fans are the closest thing I have to a BoD I figured I'd share the wrap up with you.
At the start of 2011 fencing was still something new, and Cookies were still mostly an experiment. In February I was told that I should start thinking about upgrading my equipment to the international standard, this or course came with a hefty price tag. at that point I set a sales goal of 200 dozen cookies. Thanks to some lucky breaks, a spotlight interview on Thrillist ATL andThrillist Seatle I was able to get my internationally rated uniform, unfortunately I came up a little shy on funds for my first international event in Montreal. It worked out better for me in the long run because it gave me more time to develop as a fencer. In March I went to my 3rd National event of my fencing career in Detroit Michigan. I won my first medal at this event and started to see all that all the hard work was paying off.
I lost focus on cookies in April and got away from sharing my story with my friends and customers and started to use social interaction to inundate time lines with sales pitches rather then interacting with customers. I still find myself falling into the "buy my cookies" trap but I'm trying to be more human and less corporate.
In May I had the opportunity to get away from the normal weekend practices with my team and go to an event in Oklahoma. I fenced well and learned how to enjoy myself on the fencing strip. The trip back home was..Well that's another story
The cookie biz slowed for a bit during "swimsuit" season and I found myself getting a little discouraged but the slow down gave me time to refocus on my goals for fencing as well as for Wheeling Chef.
Things started to pick back up in October and haven't slowed down since. Holiday sales were very good this year, my one week sales this year actually eclipsed a great month last year. Fencing has also seemed to have taken off. In Kansas City this month I fenced as well as I ever have bringing home two medals.
The next few months are going to be busy as far as fencing I'll be in Tampa in February, Cincinnati, in March and Virgina Beach in April. The schedule is demanding but I'm looking forward to it.
Like last year I'm setting a sales goal for a major purchase, this year its a new fencing chair. The one that I use now is my team captains old one. It has served me well to this point but it is time I got one of my own that was built for me. A new fencing chair is approximately $2,000 or 333 dozen cookies. A big goal no doubt, but I have never backed down from a challenge.
Thank you all for your support over the last 12 months and for sticking with me during my cookie experiment and fencing adventure.
At the start of 2011 fencing was still something new, and Cookies were still mostly an experiment. In February I was told that I should start thinking about upgrading my equipment to the international standard, this or course came with a hefty price tag. at that point I set a sales goal of 200 dozen cookies. Thanks to some lucky breaks, a spotlight interview on Thrillist ATL andThrillist Seatle I was able to get my internationally rated uniform, unfortunately I came up a little shy on funds for my first international event in Montreal. It worked out better for me in the long run because it gave me more time to develop as a fencer. In March I went to my 3rd National event of my fencing career in Detroit Michigan. I won my first medal at this event and started to see all that all the hard work was paying off.
In May I had the opportunity to get away from the normal weekend practices with my team and go to an event in Oklahoma. I fenced well and learned how to enjoy myself on the fencing strip. The trip back home was..Well that's another story
The cookie biz slowed for a bit during "swimsuit" season and I found myself getting a little discouraged but the slow down gave me time to refocus on my goals for fencing as well as for Wheeling Chef.
Things started to pick back up in October and haven't slowed down since. Holiday sales were very good this year, my one week sales this year actually eclipsed a great month last year. Fencing has also seemed to have taken off. In Kansas City this month I fenced as well as I ever have bringing home two medals.
The next few months are going to be busy as far as fencing I'll be in Tampa in February, Cincinnati, in March and Virgina Beach in April. The schedule is demanding but I'm looking forward to it.
Like last year I'm setting a sales goal for a major purchase, this year its a new fencing chair. The one that I use now is my team captains old one. It has served me well to this point but it is time I got one of my own that was built for me. A new fencing chair is approximately $2,000 or 333 dozen cookies. A big goal no doubt, but I have never backed down from a challenge.
Thank you all for your support over the last 12 months and for sticking with me during my cookie experiment and fencing adventure.
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