When Peter Westbrook looks at any participant in his fencing program for inner-city children, he always sees an image of himself.
Through fencing, Westbrook made it out of a Newark, N.J., ghetto. He earned a scholarship to New York University, became a 12-time national champion in sabre and captured a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles-one of only three fencing medals ever won by an American and the first in 24 years.
He broke new ground in March when, through the Peter Westbrook Foundation, he initiated a fencing program for children from disadvantaged parts of New York City. He designed the 10-week program to open avenues to a higher level of personal development by teaching the sport and building self- confidence.
Besides Westbrook, the program`s coaches are Michael Lofton, a four-time NCAA sabre champion and two-time Olympian, and Donald Anthony, a 1989 world championship team member.
”All these kids are a reflection of myself, Mike and Don,” said Westbrook, who will compete in the United States Fencing Association`s National Championships Saturday and Sunday at the Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles. ”We`re giving them discipline and helping them cope with their anxieties. We`re accomplishing what we set out to do, and that`s building self-esteem in these inner-city kids.
”We`re using fencing as a vehicle to teach them how to win and lose, deal with stress and control their emotions.”
Westbrook learned all those lessons at Newark`s Essex Catholic High School, where he joined the fencing team only to appease his mother`s wishes. ”I really didn`t think of it as a great idea, but it sure kept me out of trouble,” he said. ”My mother wanted me to join to keep me off the streets, and many of these parents are signing their kids up for the same reason.”
The program started with six children and grew to 43 almost overnight. Another 10-week program is scheduled to begin Oct. 5, after Westbrook returns from the Pan American Games. He expects an enrollment of from 60 to 70 children.
”The parents love it, the kids love it-there`s just been an overwhelming response and demand,” Westbrook said. ”We wanted to give these kids the same break we got through fencing.”
When a friend suggested coaching an inner-city program, Westbrook wasn`t too crazy about the idea. But that changed as soon as the first child arrived. ”At first I thought, `All I need to do is teach a bunch of snotty-nosed kids,` ” Westbrook said. ”But now I see those bright, shiny faces and I just can`t express the joy I feel.”
In addition to training for the 1992 Olympics and various other national and international tournaments, Westbrook is obsessed with raising money to expand the program. He started with $2,000 of his own money and has placed ads in fencing publications seeking donations. He also has convinced several high- profile black athletes, such as Arthur Ashe and Wilma Rudolph, to join the foundation`s board of directors.
The program is another indication that fencing no longer is an aristocratic sport, solely for the wealthy. Fencing`s origins date back to the duels fought mostly by the upper class to defend their honor or settle a dispute. But the sport has gained a much broader base in recent years.
”Fencing was always an elite European sport, but things are changing,”
Westbrook said. ”It doesn`t take just finance anymore. It takes people who can get the job done. African-Americans had never been exposed to it before, but just like Arthur Ashe said to me, this is going to be a great sport for us.”
It`s already been a great sport for Westbrook. He`s a four-time Olympian and a two-time Pan American gold-medal winner, and he has won more national championships in sabre than anyone in the 100-year history of the USFA. And though he walks the streets unrecognized-as anonymous as his sport-this is a man who remains grateful.
”I could get more notoriety and more money (in other sports), but it doesn`t bother me at all,” Westbrook said. ”It`s just the nature of fencing. I`ve got nothing to complain about. I`m not bitter. I feel very fortunate and I want to give back what I can.”
