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Duke University

DURHAM, N.C. – The True Blue Podcast, spearheaded by the Blue Devil Network, is a student-athlete led video podcast designed to uncover and share the stories that feature Duke student-athletes.
 
The overarching goal of the True Blue Podcast is to provide fans with a greater insight into the human side of Duke Athletics through open and unadulterated conversations. True Blue is all about showing the outside world who Duke student-athletes are when they step off the fields of play. Hosted by senior Duke field hockey player Shelby Bumgarner, this will be released on a monthly basis.  
 
Monica Balakrishnan, a junior from Houston, Texas, is TBP’s third guest of the semester. Growing up, she was a member of the Alliance Fencing Academy under Andrey Geva. Her accolades continued to build as she was a three-time top-16 finisher in Division I and Junior North American Cups during the 2021-22 season, a Cadet top-32 effort at the 2020 Junior Olympics, earned top-32 in Cadet and Y14 and silver medalist in Y10 at the USFA July Championships, placed top-8 in Cadet and Junior SJCC’s, and was a 2021 USFA first team All-American. 
 
Balakrishnan’s passion and appreciation for the sport was recognized in 2021, when she was awarded the Spirit of Sport Award winner by USA Fencing. In her first season as a Blue Devil in 2023, she compiled a 20-9 overall record during the regular season, went 11-5 at the Eric Sollee Invitational, helped spearhead a women’s epee team go 17-8, and finished in 12th during the individual portion of the ACC Championship. In 2024, she saw action in five events during the regular season, collecting 13 wins at the Eric Sollee Invitational and placing seventh during the individual portion of the ACC Championship. 
 
In addition to her athletic achievements, Balikirhsman has valued academics since high school, as she was a member of the National Honor Society, an AP Scholar, PSAT National Commended Finalist, US Biology Olympiad Semifinalist and a Presidential Service Award gold medalist. At Duke, she is a two-time All-ACC Academic Team and ACC Academic Honor Roll recipient (2023, 2024).
As if Balikirhsman couldn’t be more impressive, she also has a passion for community service and has ignited various non-profits in Houston like Teens for Vaccine and Limitless Minds. This past summer, she joined the ACE Program in South Africa working with early childhood development centers and various non-profits on ground.
 
In this episode of True Blue, Bumgarner and Balikirhsman discuss her upbringing in Houston, her passion for fencing, how to grow the sport, her dedication to academics, and her passion for community service within the Houston and Durham communities.

The True Blue Podcast is available here and on Spotify and YouTube.

#GoDuke

 

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