Peter Westbrook

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Olympic medal record
Competitor for Flag of United States United States
Men's Fencing
Bronze 1984 Los Angeles Individual Sabre
Medal record
Competitor for Flag of United States United States
Pan American Games
Bronze 1975 Mexico City Individual sabre
Silver 1975 Mexico City Team sabre
Silver 1979 San Juan Individual sabre
Silver 1979 San Juan Team sabre
Gold 1983 Caracas Individual sabre
Silver 1983 Caracas Team sabre
Silver 1987 Indianapolis Individual sabre
Silver 1987 Indianapolis Team sabre
Gold 1995 Argentina Individual sabre
Gold 1995 Argentina Team sabre


Peter Westbrook (born April 16, 1952) is an American sabre fencing champion.

Westbrook was born to an African-American father and a Japanese mother, who had met while his father was stationed at a military base in Japan.

Contents

[edit] Fencing career

Westbrook grew up in New Jersey, where he often fought at school until his mother put him in a fencing class.

[edit] College

For college, he attended New York University on a full scholarship, and graduated in 1975.

In 1973 he won the NCAA fencing championships in sabre.

[edit] National championships

He won the U.S. national men's saber championship 13 times (1974, '75, '79, '80, '81, '82, '83, '84, '85, '86, '88, '89, and '95).[1]

[edit] Pan American Games

He won gold medals at the Pan American Games in 1983 and 1995, silver medals in 1979 and 1987, and a bronze medal in 1975.[2]

[edit] Olympics

He won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was a member of 5 other Olympic teams as well.

[edit] Peter Westbrook Foundation

After his retirement he founded the Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York City, which seeks to guide inner-city youth away from gang violence by having them participate in fencing. Four of his students from the Foundation, Keeth Smart, Kamara James, Ivan Lee, and Erinn Smart fenced in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Ivan Lee won the 2001, 2004, and 2005 sabre national championships, Keeth Smart won the 2004 and 2002 sabre national championships and was ranked # 1 in the world in 2003, Erinn Smart won the 2004 and 2002 women's foil national championships, and Kamara James was ranked # 1 in the world in women's epee in 2004.

[edit] Writing

Westbrook wrote his memoirs, Harnessing Anger ISBN 1-888363-39-8, ISBN 1-888363-67-3 in which he describes turning his childhood tendency to fight into a drive to succeed at his sport.

[edit] Halls of Fame

Westbrook was indcuted into the New York University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.[3]

Westbrook was inducted into the USFA Hall of Fame in 1996.

He was also inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey in 2002.

[edit] Peter Westbrook Foundation

Since his retirement he founded the Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York City, which aims to guide inner-city youth away from gang violence through participation in fencing. One of his students from the Foundation, Keeth Smart, fenced in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Many current and former Westbrook Foundation students can be found in the US National Fencing rankings. Fencers who are alumni or current students of the foundation include Akhi Spencer-El, Keeth Smart, Erin Smart, and Herby Raynaud among others.

[edit] See also

[edit] Links

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