“He Died Believing It Was My Choice”: USA Fencing’s Phil Andrews on Adoption, Loss, and Belonging

“My father died thinking I said yes as a choice.” That’s what Phil Andrews, CEO of USA Fencing, learned from a book of poetry his late father wrote, and it opens a story about adoption, loss, and a childhood he can’t fully remember. On this episode of The Messy Parts, Maryam talks with Phil about growing up in public housing in the UK, feeling like an outsider on full scholarship at boarding school, and how those years shaped a career fixing broken organizations — from taking on Olympic doping at USA Weightlifting to turning around USA Fencing. Phil also shares why he calls his missing memories a superpower, how sport gave him the community he was seeking, and how he moved from “I” to “we.” Plus, honest advice for anyone considering a career pivot. 🎧 Subscribe now for a new episode of The Messy Parts every week! 📺 On YouTube? Subscribe here . Key Moments 01:47 - Why He Picks the Messy Jobs 🔧 Phil keeps choosing the jobs most people would turn down, and he admits he’s drawn to anything that needs fixing. 03:53 - From 11% to 50% Women in Weightlifting 💪 Phil explains how the share of women in the sport rose to roughly half, including the small but symbolic change of putting women first in press releases. 06:59 - Taking On Olympic Doping and Corruption 🚨 Pushing for reform at USA Weightlifting and internationally after allegations of manipulated elections and doping tests. 09:39 - Asking the Board to Resign 📢 Phil describes the stress of publicly calling for an international board to step down and why even the right move is never a popular one. 13:27 - The Hotel Room Where Everything Was at Stake 🏨 Phil recalls warnings that negotiating a new constitution for weightlifting could end the sport’s place in the Olympics. 16:40 - A Childhood Before the Career 🏠 From the Isle of Wight to his father’s MS diagnosis to his mother leaving and his stepfather adopting him, Phil gives the backstory behind his drive to fix things. 17:41 - The Childhood Memories He Doesn’t Have 🧠 Phil shares that he blanks on most of his early years, and why he sees that as a superpower. 22:38 - When His Mother Was Arrested ⚖️ Phil recounts learning about his mother’s fraud and her prison sentence. 23:50 - Boarding School and the Search for Belonging 🎓 A full scholarship took Phil from a council estate to a boarding school where he never felt like he fit in. 25:56 - The Poem That Rewrote the Adoption Story 📖 After his father’s death, Phil finds a book of his poetry showing his father believed the adoption was Phil’s choice, when he was actually forced to say yes in court. 31:17 - Good at Change, Not Maintenance 🔄 Phil explains why he’s an “addict” for change, and how he’s thinking about his next pivot after the 2028 Los Angeles Games. 36:52 - The Goodbye in the Uber 🚗 In rapid fire, Phil shares the last time he cried: saying goodbye to his dying father over video, in the back of an Uber on the way to a meeting. Send us Fan Mail Email us: hello@themessypartspodcast.com To stay up to date with The Messy Parts and get all the behind-the-scenes content, follow us on Instagram , LinkedIn , YouTube . If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a rating and review on <a href='https://podca