Peter Westbrook

Peter Jonathan Westbrook

Personal information
Born	(1952-04-16)16 April 1952 Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	November 29, 2024(2024-11-29) (aged 72)
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Sport
Sport	Fencing
Medal record Men's fencing Representing United States Olympic Games 1984 Los Angeles Individual sabre Pan American Games 1983 Caracas Individual sabre 1995 Mar del Plata Individual sabre 1995 Mar del Plata Team sabre 1975 Mexico City Team sabre 1979 San Juan Individual sabre 1979 San Juan Team sabre 1983 Caracas Team sabre 1987 Indianapolis Individual sabre 1987 Indianapolis Team sabre 1975 Mexico City Individual sabre

Peter Jonathan Westbrook (April 16, 1952 – November 29, 2024) was an American saber fencer. He was a 13-time national and 3-time Pan American Games saber champion, and an Olympic bronze medalist. He was also the founder of the Peter Westbrook Foundation (PWF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit that uses fencing as a vehicle to help young people from under-served New York City communities develop life and academic skills.

Early life and education

Westbrook's father, Ulysses, was a G.I. stationed in Japan during the Korean War when he met Mariko, a Japanese woman. Soon after their marriage, they returned to the United States, eventually settling in Newark, New Jersey, where Peter and his younger sister Vivian were born.

Peter was 4 when his father left, leaving his mother to raise the family. Raising the children Catholic, Mariko bartered with priests at the local parochial school (St. Peters/Queen of Angels) in exchange for schooling for Peter and Vivian.

Westbrook attended New York University where he received a B.S. in Marketing.

Fencing career

Early fencing career

Westbrook's fencing career started at Essex Catholic High School. He trained under Dr. Samuel D'Ambola, a medical doctor and the founder of the Essex Catholic High School fencing program.

College

Westbrook received a full fencing scholarship to New York University and trained under Hugo Castello, the multi-championship-winning fencing coach.

In 1972, he began training with Csaba Elthes, a Hungarian sabreur at the New York Fencers Club, but left. In 1973, he won the NCAA sabre championship. Recognizing that his short time with Csaba had been beneficial, Westbrook returned to Csaba.

In 1974, as a college senior, Westbrook placed first at the Amateur Fencers League of America's (now known as USA Fencing) National Championships, beating among others Alex Orban and Paul Apostol.

National championships

Westbrook won the U.S. National Men's Sabre Championship 13 times (1974–'75, '79–'86, '88–'89 and '95). Winning the Nationals made him an internationally recognized fencer.

Pan American Games

In 1975, Westbrook won a team silver medal and an individual bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Mexico City. In 1979, he won a team silver medal. These wins were soon accompanied by his 1983 individual gold medal and team silver medal. From 1987 to 1995, Westbrook won additional silver medals for individual performance (1987); two silver medals for team performance (1987, 1991), and gold medals for individual and team performances (1995).

Olympics

In 1976, Westbrook attended his first Olympic Games; thereafter, he was part of every Team USA Olympic fencing team through 1996. During pre-competition sparring with a European fencer at the 1976 Olympics, Westbrook tore two ligaments. He ended the competition ranked 13th among the world's saber fencers.

At the 1984 Olympics, Westbrook won a bronze medal and was the first American to win a fencing medal since 1960.

Westbrook served as flag bearer for the closing ceremonies of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

Peter Westbrook Foundation

The PWF Elite Athlete Program

Following his fencing career, Westbrook founded the Peter Westbrook Foundation (PWF), a non-profit that uses fencing as a vehicle to help young people from under-served New York City communities develop life and academic skills. Notable fencers trained by the foundation who represented the United States at the Olympics are Akhi Spencer-El, Benjamin Bratton, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Daryl Homer, Curtis McDowald, Khalil Thompson, and Lauren Scruggs, who won two medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In 2000, the Foundation was represented internationally for the first time when Ahki Spencer-el, Keeth Smart, and Keeth Smart's sister Erinn Smart qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. In 2004 four of the foundation’s fencers, Keeth Smart, Erinn Smart, Kamara James, and Ivan Lee represented the United States in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. In 2008, Keeth Smart and Erinn Smart represented the United States in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, and each returned home with a silver medal.

Ivan Lee won 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2008 saber US national championships, and Keeth Smart won the 2004 and 2002 national championship titles and was ranked # 1 in the world in 2003 (the first-ever American to hold this rank). Erinn Smart won the 1998, 2002, 2004, 2007, and 2008 women's foil national championships, and Kamara James was ranked # 1 in the world in women's épée in 2004.

The PWF Academic Enrichment Program

The Academic Enrichment Program provides one-on-one tutorial support, literacy assistance, SAT, PSAT, and specialized high school exam preparation, along with group workshops and productivity seminars on core academic skills, time management, motivational techniques, and homework habits. From October through June, students and tutors meet for 6 to 12 hours each month and receive extra academic support.

Writing

In 1997, Westbrook published his memoir, Harnessing Anger: The Way of an American Fencer in which he describes turning his childhood experiences into a drive to succeed at his sport and the inception of the Peter Westbrook Foundation.

In Harnessing Anger, Westbrook tells how he came to be the first African American to win a national gold title in sabre fencing along with reaching international levels of success. Westbrook describes how as the son of an African-American father and a Japanese mother, he was aided by his mother alone in poverty in a Newark ghetto. Becoming a fencer at an early age gave him the confidence and the discipline to use an ancient martial art to his advantage both in swordplay and when facing the vicissitudes of daily life in the inner city.

Harnessing Anger: The Way of an American Fencer (1997) was nominated by the American Library Association for its Book of the Year Award.

Hall of Fame and other honors

Westbrook was inducted into the New York University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985. 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. In 2021, he was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame.

Death

Westbrook died from cancer in November 2024 at the age of 72.

See also

• List of American sabre fencers
• List of USFA Division I National Champions

External links

• The Peter Westbrook Foundation
• "The Right Touch," by Finn-Olaf Jones, about Peter Westbrook Foundation, in "Forbes," September 18, 2006
• Peter Westbrook at IMDb 
• Peter Westbrook at Olympedia
• Peter Westbrook at Olympics.com
• Peter Westbrook at Olympic.org (archived)