Peter Jonathan Westbrook (born April 16, 1952) is an American former
sabre
A sabre ( French: sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...
fencing
Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, s ...
champion, active businessman and founder of the Peter Westbrook Foundation. A former U.S. champion and Olympic medalist,
Westbrook's career began when his Japanese mother convinced him to try fencing. He founded the Peter Westbrook Foundation (PWF), a 501(c)(3) non-profit that uses fencing as a vehicle in developing life and academic skills for young people from under-served communities of New York City.
Biography
Westbrook's father, Ulysses, was a G.I. stationed in Japan during the
Korean War
, date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
, when he met Mariko, a Japanese woman from a sheltered home. Soon after their marriage they returned to the United States, travelling first to
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
,
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
and eventually settling in
Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.[Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...]
, Mariko bartered with priests at the local parochial school (St. Peters/Queen of Angels) in exchange for schooling for Peter and Vivian.
Harassed by the other children because of his mixed race and taught by his mother to "not cry, to work hard, to be ethical, and to fight to achieve our goals; And if we should survive the fight, she said, we should get up and fight some more," the young Westbrook became a very good fighter. His fencing career started at fencing powerhouse
Essex Catholic High School
Essex Catholic Boys High School (formally known as Bishop Francis Essex Catholic High School after 2000) was a four-year Catholic high school located in Newark and East Orange, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The high school opened ...
, only because of his mother's $5.00 bribe. Mariko knew that fencing would keep Peter out of trouble and, if he had any ability, bring him into contact with people who would expose him to a different world that the one he had been born into.
Early fencing career
Under the tutelage of Dr. Samuel D'ambola, a medical doctor and the founder of the Essex Catholic High School fencing program, Peter's talent was discovered and nurtured. In this supportive environment, despite experiencing some incidents of racism, he excelled. Recognizing his innate abilities, Dr. D'ambola started Peter with the sabre; a military sword with a distinctive look. Used predominantly as a cutting and slashing weapon, Peter was thrilled to be training on a sword that childhood hero Zorro had also used.
I quickly became attached to sabre fencing ... tsatisfied my constant need to be quick with everything I did. Fencing was just like street boxing, only not as brutal. And here was a kind of fighting that my mother not only allowed, but actually encouraged." arnessing Anger, pg 33
Thanks to a training program from 3:00 to 6:00 pm every day after school. His skill and talent were rewarded with numerous wins and by his senior year he was the best fencer for a high school team.
College
Peter didn't consider college until he received a recruitment call from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
's Hugo Castello, the multi-championship-winning fencing coach for one of the best fencing programs in the country.
Under the tutelage of coaching greats like Hugo and James Castello, Peter's abilities entered a new level of greatness. In addition to talented coaching, he would regularly spar with teammates like Steve Kaplan.
"NYU was like a tributary that lead out into the great ocean—you could get there from here."
arnessing Anger, page 41
While at NYU Peter switched from the School of Education to the School of Business, falsely believing that working in an office would be easier than teaching having to "stand in front of a bunch of people and look them in the eyes and convey a message!"
arnessing Anger, page 42
Westbrook credits therapist Mildred Klingman with helping him lose his fears and inhibitions and teaching him how to "read" people and communicate with them.
In 1972 he began training with Csaba Elthes, a Hungarian sabreur at the New York Fencers Club with a reputation as the best fencing coach in America. Physically and verbally abusive behavior led Peter to leave Csaba after one semester. In 1973, Peter won the NCAA championship, claiming the title Best college sabreur in the country. Recognizing that his short time with Csaba has advanced his skill significantly, Peter returned to Csaba, who also realized that Peter, unlike other fencers, didn't require abuse in order to focus and learn because he was a very good listener.
In 1974 as a college senior, Peter placed first at the Amateur Fencers League of America's (now known as USA Fencing) National Championships, beating world-class fencers like Alex Orban and Paul Apostol and securing the title of America's Best Sabreur.
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 because of the caliber of the competitors. For Peter, the thirteen wins are his "lucky thirteen".
Pan American Games
In 1975, Westbrook won a silver team medal and a bronze individual medal at the Pan American Games in Mexico City. In 1979, he won a silver team medal. These wins were soon accompanied by his 1983 gold individual medal and silver team medal.
From 1987 to 1995, Westbrook won an 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. During pre-competition sparring with another European fencer, Peter tore two ligaments. While other athletes might view this incident as damaging, Peter optimistically saw it as an opportunity to do his best without feeling pressures that comes with being a rising star. He ended the competition ranked 13th among the world's best sabre fencers.
The many highlights of his Olympic team career include membership on five Olympic teams and being chosen as flag bearer for the closing ceremonies of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. This honor is conferred by a vote by that year's Olympians.
His greatest moments came when he won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Peter describes the match in his book ''Harnessing Anger'' this way:
When I walked onto the strip in Los Angeles for my final match against the Frenchman Herve Grangér-Vernon, my adrenaline is pumping ... As the match begins, I get the first touch. I get the second touch. I make it to four, My touches appear to me to be so skillful, so beautiful, that I say to myself, 'I think I'm in the Zone, but I'm not sure. Let me not think about it. ... '. Soon enough, as soon as the thought crosses my mind, the Frenchman gets two points on me. But I snatch the game right back. I get another touch and it's 8-2. Then he gets 8-3, and 8-4. Even as he is gaining, I know the game is mine. All I gotta do is keep riding the tide, keep going with it. I get 9-4, and I finish him off 10-4. The Frenchman falls to his knees crying. When I looked out at the crowd, I could see that the Hungarians, the Italians, and the rest of the Europeans had all turned around. They went from not wanting my win to happen, to being forced to say in their hearts and souls, 'Bravo. Bravo'. That, to me, was incredible.
Peter Westbrook Foundation
![PWFATHENS](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/PWFATHENS.jpg)
In 1987, at the suggestion of Peter's friend,
Tom Shepard, fencing clinics for
inner-city
The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists sometim ...
kids were offered. The Peter Westbrook Foundation (PWF) was officially launched on a cold Saturday morning in February 1991 at the New York
Fencers Club, which was located on West 71st Street in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. The first official class for the PWF Saturday Fencing Program consisted of six kids, "all of them our own relatives or those of our friends." Within two years the program grew to 40 youth, then 100. In the 2009/2010 school year, the PWF served over 400 youth from the underserved communities across New York City.
The Peter Westbrook Foundation is a
501(c)(3)
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...
, non-operating foundation that is dedicated to utilizing the sport of fencing as a vehicle to develop life skills in young people from underserved communities. With a specific focus on engaging New York City's low and moderate-income youth, PWF teaches young people good sportsmanship in addition to developing their critical thinking skills, strengthening their self-confidence, encouraging the maintenance of an active and healthy lifestyle, and supporting academic achievement. The Foundation has evolved from solely providing introductory fencing classes to offering academic enrichment and advanced fencing instruction for youth who demonstrate exceptional talent for the sport.
The program's staff has included world-class coaches (
Csaba Elthes
''Maestro'' Csaba Elthes (March 10, 1912 – November 8, 1995) was a fencing master who emigrated to the U.S. Elthes trained many Olympic competitors in the 1960s through 1980s, including the only U.S. Olympic fencing medalist of the period, Peter ...
, Boris Lieberman, Rotchild Magloire, Yuri Gelma], Max Catala, and Aladar Kogler), medalists and Olympians (
Mika'il Sankofa, Michael Lofton,
Robert Cottingham
Robert Cottingham (born 1935 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American artist known for his paintings and prints of urban American landscapes showing building facades, neon signs, movie marquees, railroad heralds and shop fronts. , Herb Raynaud, Eric Rosenberg, Lazarro Mora, and
Donald Anthony) and PWF students Ahki Spencer-el,
Keeth Smart
Keeth Thomas Smart
''The New York Times'', 27 May 2007. (born July 29, 1978) is a and his sister
Erinn Smart
Erinn Smart (born January 12, 1980[Erinn Smart]
, USA Fencing. Accessed July 27, 2012.) is an American fen ...
,
Kamara James,
Ivan Lee,
Benjamin Bratton
Benjamin Bratton (born in Queens, New York) is a three-time fencing all-American and a former member of the United States fencing team. As a national team member, he competed in the 2006 World Fencing Championships in Turin, Italy; 20 ...
,
Nzingha Prescod, and Epiphany Georges.
The PWF Elite Athlete Program
In 2000 the Peter Westbrook Foundation was represented on the international stage for the first time when Ahki Spencer-el, Keeth Smart, and his sister Erinn Smart qualified for the
2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
in
Sydney, Australia
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and List of cities in Oceania by population, Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metro ...
. In 2004 four of his students, Keeth Smart, Kamara James, Ivan Lee, and Erinn Smart represented the United States in the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
in
Athens, Greece
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
.
Ivan Lee won the 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2008 sabre 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.
In 2008, the Peter Westbrook Foundation reached unprecedented levels of success when the brother-sister duo, and lifelong PWF members, Keeth Smart and Erinn Smart represented the United States in the 2008 Summer Olympics in
Beijing, China
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
, and both returned home with
silver medal
A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...
s. These medals would not only symbolize the individual victories of Keeth and Erinn but reaffirmed the Peter Westbrook Foundation in its mission and ideals.
Other notable fencers trained by the Peter Westbrook Foundation
Keeth Smart
Keeth Thomas Smart
''The New York Times'', 27 May 2007. (born July 29, 1978) is a ,
Ivan Lee,
Erinn Smart
Erinn Smart (born January 12, 1980[Erinn Smart]
, USA Fencing. Accessed July 27, 2012.) is an American fen ...
, Kamara James, Akhi Spencer-El,
Benjamin Bratton
Benjamin Bratton (born in Queens, New York) is a three-time fencing all-American and a former member of the United States fencing team. As a national team member, he competed in the 2006 World Fencing Championships in Turin, Italy; 20 ...
, Dwight Smith, Donovan Holtz, Rashaan Greenhouse, Adam Rodney, Harvey Miller III, Herby Raynaud, Dwayne Smith, Ras Davidson, Marty Williams,
Ibtihaj Muhammad
Ibtihaj Muhammad (born December 4, 1985) is an American sabre fencer and member of the United States fencing team. She is known for being the first Muslim American woman to wear a headscarf while competing for the United States in the Olympics ...
, Torian Brown, Epiphany Georges,
Nzingha Prescod, Carrington Harris, Adam Crompton, Andre Crompton, Ahmed Yilla, Daniel Bak, Adrian Bak, and Curtis McDowald.
The PWF Academic Enrichment Program
The Academic Enrichment Program (AEP) provides one-on-one tutorial support, literacy assistance,
SAT
The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...
,
PSAT, and specialized high school exam preparation, along with group workshops and productivity seminars on core academic skills, time management, and motivational techniques and the development of effective homework habits. From October through June, students and tutors meet for 6 to 12 hours each month at a PWF center in either
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
or
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street (Manhattan), 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and 110th Street (Manhattan), ...
, where they receive extra academic support to improve their understanding and performance in academic areas they find challenging.
Writing
In 1997, Westbrook published his memoirs
''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, Peter 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.
The autobiography of this 6-time Olympian, 13-time U.S. National champion is the only book on his amazing life. ''Harnessing Anger'' tells us how Westbrook has overcome strong adversaries on and off the fencing strip.
''Harnessing Anger: The Way of an American Fencer'' (1997) was nominated by the
American Library Association
The American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with 49,727 members a ...
for its Book of the Year Award.
Film and television
Peter Westbrook has appeared on the following television programs:
* Oprah Winfrey Show
* Charlie Rose
* 60 Minutes
* Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Hall of Fame and other honors
Westbrook was inducted into the
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, the ...
Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.
Westbrook was inducted into the
USFA Hall of Fame
The United States Fencing Association (USFA) is the national governing body for the sport of fencing in the United States. The USFA was founded on April 22, 1891, as the Amateur Fencers League of America (AFLA) by a group of 20 New York City fenc ...
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
The International Sports Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is a section 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization established in 2012 by Dr. Robert M. Goldman to honor the world's greatest athlete legends in all categories of sports.
The ISHOF's mission is to inspi ...
.
See also
*
USFA Hall of Fame
The United States Fencing Association (USFA) is the national governing body for the sport of fencing in the United States. The USFA was founded on April 22, 1891, as the Amateur Fencers League of America (AFLA) by a group of 20 New York City fenc ...
*
USFA
*
List of American sabre fencers
This is a list of American Sabreurs. (Only noted and contemporary American sabreurs are included):
* Armitage, Norman
* Becker, Christine
* Green, Charlotte "Sherry"
* Jacobson, Emily
* Jacobson, Sada
* Kovacs, Stephen (1972–2022)
* Kwartler, ...
*
List of USFA Division I National Champions This is a list of USA Fencing (USFA) Division I national champions. The Division I National Championship in each weapon was contested at Summer Nationals until recently, when it started taking place during the April North American Cup.
Men's Fenci ...
References
External links
The Peter Westbrook Foundation*
ttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm1214279/bio IMDB bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Westbrook, Peter
1952 births
New York University alumni
Living people
American male sabre fencers
African-American male track and field athletes
Essex Catholic High School alumni
Fencers at the 1976 Summer Olympics
Fencers at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Fencers at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Fencers at the 1992 Summer Olympics
Fencers at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in fencing
Sportspeople from Newark, New Jersey
American sportspeople of Japanese descent
Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States
Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States
Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States
Pan American Games medalists in fencing
Congressional Gold Medal recipients
Fencers at the 1975 Pan American Games
Fencers at the 1979 Pan American Games
Fencers at the 1983 Pan American Games
Fencers at the 1987 Pan American Games
Fencers at the 1995 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games
Medalists at the 1995 Pan American Games
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople
African-American Catholics