“Attack, retreat, another attack and once more. Victory!” That’s how training for fencers goes. In particular, one of the most famous fencers in America and the world is Daryl Homer. He was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and spent most of his life in the Bronx, New York. i-bronx.com will tell you more about this outstanding resident of the borough.
Overview of the sports career
According to ny1.com, Daryl Homer is an American saber fencer who won 8 times in the Pan American team championships and 3 times in the individual competition. Most notably, he has also participated in the Olympic Games, becoming a three-time gold medal champion (2012, 2016, 2020) and winning one silver medal (2016). Interestingly, he fenced with his right hand. Is it important? There are fencers who use their left hand while others compete with their right hand. For any athlete who uses a saber or foil, it is better to compete against an opponent who can do it with the other hand. Otherwise, it will be a bit strange for both of them. It’s like running backward or with your eyes closed… I can do it both ways, but it’s easier and faster. It’s the same in boxing, football, or any other sport.
Childhood in the Bronx and the first steps in sports
Daryl is not a native of the Bronx, he was born on St. Thomas Island, which belongs to the U.S. Virgin Islands, in 1990. At the age of 5, the boy, his younger sister and his mother, Juliette, moved to Gun Hill Road in the Bronx. Here, he attended Public School 21 and later began studying at Salesian High School, which was located in New Rochelle, New York. After completing school, the young man entered St. John’s University, where he studied advertising communications in order to work in this field in the future.
Daryl began his sports journey at 11 while still in school. He was inspired to pursue this type of sport by an image of two fencers in one of the children’s dictionaries. In the picture, there was a man in a mask with a foil. The teenager thought it was a cool activity, so he decided that he would love it. From that time on, he joined the Peter Westbrook Foundation, which gave the youth an opportunity to master their fencing skills. Looking up to Peter, Daryl chose a saber as his weapon, just like his idol.
The Peter Westbrook Foundation in New York
Peter Westbrook himself was a fencer. He had a troubled childhood and was raised without a father. However, thanks to his mother’s guidance, he persistently pursued his goal and managed to become an outstanding athlete of the 20th century. Consequently, Peter repeatedly competed in the Olympics and won various awards. After finishing his career, he founded a foundation that helped other Americans become athletes. Many prominent athletes, coaches, and public figures have been involved in this foundation.
Fencing career
Daryl Homer was recognized as a talented sportsman. Many famous coaches, including the 5-time Olympic champion Yuri Gelman, started working with him. The young man won two bronze medals, the first one in 2007 at the Cadet World Fencing Championships and the second one in 2009 at the Junior World Championships. He was just 19 years old back then. In the same year, the athlete participated in the senior World Championships and took a high 23rd place. Thus, he could become the NCAA title holder.
He not only kept his title in 2010 but even defended it. During his brilliant performance at the World Championships in Paris, he defeated two French fencers and ranked 12th. In 2011, he became the gold medalist at the Pan American Championships.
At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Homer beat players of the Romanian and Russian teams. However, he eventually lost to the Romanian team member. In total, the USA team took 8th place and Daryl Homer became No.12 in the fencing rankings.
In 2013, he remained in the same position. Homer won 3 placings in the World Cup and a bronze medal at the Pan American Championships. In 2014 and 2015, he became a bronze medalist at the Seoul Grand Prix. In general, as for the summer of 2016, he ranked second in America, behind Eli Dershwitz.
Daryl won silver at the 2016 Olympics. He lost the gold medal to Aron Szilagyi from Hungary, with a score of 15-8. Yet, it was a great achievement for American sports, as no one had won a bronze medal after Peter Westbrook, and no athlete had received silver since 1904. Americans had never become gold medalists in fencing before. The fact that Daryl, the same as Peter, is black, significantly contributed to African Americans. After this successful tournament for the team but disappointing match for Daryl, he changed his coach, Yury Gelman, to the new one.
Daryl’s silver medal is evidence of how sports attract people and give them wings. When he started fencing at the age of 11, he saw an advertisement featuring two fencers promoting New York as the host of the 2012 Olympic Games. The boy was deeply impressed by this image. It was then that his mother stumbled upon the Peter Westbrook Foundation, which supported underprivileged children and helped them to take up this type of sport. Around the period of winning the medal, Peter and Daryl lived just ten blocks apart in New York. They often sent each other emails and Daryl even watched videos with Westbrook to better prepare for the next competitions. After receiving his silver medal, Daryl expressed his gratitude to Peter. He believed that he would never have achieved this medal without the guidance and training at the foundation. After the victory at the Olympics, Daryl planned to return home to his native U.S. Virgin Islands to continue preparing for the 2020 Olympics.
On the eve of the Olympics in Tokyo
Preparation for the Olympics in Tokyo was intense because Daryl was one of the contenders for gold at this global sporting forum. Ralph Lauren, a fashion designer who created uniforms for the American team, supported them at these competitions. Athletes were supposed to wear this uniform during the closing of the Olympics. It is worth mentioning that the apparel designed by this genius in the fashion industry is primarily about ecological sustainability and simplicity. It is made from recycled plastic bottles and other necessary plants.
Speaking about fencing, Daryl admitted that he likes this sport because it combines various physical capacities. Everything depends on your preparation, mental abilities, emotional control and creativity. In his opinion, fencing is a mix of dance and boxing. Daryl also did not forget to mention the Bronx. In particular, he believes that his own athletic growth was due to the tough life in the Bronx. It forced him to “think with his feet”. The COVID-19 pandemic also affected his training plan, causing a one-year delay and making him worry, as the Tokyo Games were postponed. However, he felt confident because he had dreamed of a gold medal since childhood. He also believes in his city of New York, which has endured a lot during the pandemic. This is what will inspire the young athlete.
From the results of the Tokyo Olympics, we can see that Daryl Homer did not become the best. He lost in the 1/8 finals to a representative from Egypt and was eliminated from the competition.
So, Daryl Homer’s life story and sporting triumph demonstrate how one can become successful by working hard on oneself, without looking for excuses, not considering obstacles such as skin color, and ultimately receiving international recognition.