Peter Westbrook, the primary Black American to win an Olympic medal in fencing, has handed away. He was 72.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Westbrook attended Essex Catholic Excessive College, the place he skilled in fencing with Dr. Samuel D’ambola, the founding father of the college’s fencing program. He graduated from New York College with a B.S. in Advertising on a full fencing scholarship and skilled below multi-championship-winning fencing coach Hugo Castello.
Westbrook gained the NCAA saber championship after coaching with Csaba Elthes, a Hungarian sabreur on the New York Fencers Membership.
In 1975, Westbrook gained a silver staff medal and a bronze particular person medal on the Pan American Video games in Mexico Metropolis. He took house a silver staff medal in 1979.
Westbrook competed as a part of each Olympic fencing staff by 1996. He’s listed in The Guinness E book of World Data because the all-time successful American file holder for 13 U.S. Nationwide Sabre championships. He was additionally a six-time Olympian, competing in his first Olympics in 1976. Westbrook turned the primary African-Asian American and American Olympic Sabre-Fencing Champion to win an Olympic medal, taking house the bronze medal within the 1984 Los Angeles Video games.
Whereas competing internationally representing the USA, Westbrook was additionally a advertising and marketing government with IBM, North American Van Strains and the New York Instances.
In 1991, Westbrook established the Peter Westbrook Basis, which “makes use of the game of fencing to help younger individuals to realize their private greatest emotionally, intellectually and bodily.”
Because the launch of the muse, athletes from this system have represented the USA in fencing tournaments world wide and medaled within the Olympic Video games. So far, greater than 4,000 youth served by the Peter Westbrook Basis unquestionably are making their mark on the world.
Westbrook is survived by his spouse Susann Westbrook and his son Dorian.
We at EBONY supply our honest prayers and deepest condolences to the household and pals of Peter Westbrook.