"It's a very cardio-based sport. That little strip, it may seem small but it's like you're doing mini suicides going line to line," he said. "You're lunging, coming back, lunging, coming back. You're on your toes the whole time. I had my Whoop \[fitness tracker\] on, and my heart rate got to like 192 for a good 45 minutes."
Joyce, like all Commanders fans, looks forward to seeing Wise back out on the field disrupting offenses and hitting his sack celebration this upcoming season.
"I know there will be many chances to see it. He's extraordinarily talented," she said.
After finishing their session, Joyce and Wise spent time signing autographs and taking pictures.
"It was also great that we used the facilities at Elite because a bunch of the younger kids were there, and they loved meeting him," Joyce said. "It just meant the world to our whole community because when we do get the spotlight, it's very rarely from other athletes, and it's just great because it feels good to be seen."
Perhaps it'll be one of those kids or someone at home who saw these two on their screens who decides fencing is their calling. That "maybe" was the biggest driver and delight for both athletes on the day.
"This could inspire somebody to help find a sport for them and find out what they're into," Wise said. "And then, you know, within four years, they could in the Olympics because they saw Michaela on TV playing with an NFL player."