Peter Westbrook

"NYU was like a tributary that lead out into the great ocean—you could get there from here." [Harnessing Anger, page 41]

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, and both returned home with silver medals. These medals would not only symbolize the individual victories of Keeth and Erinn but reaffirm the Peter Westbrook Foundation in its mission and ideals.

He was also inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame of New Jersey in 2002.

Ivan Lee won the 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, and 2008 sabre national championships, 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 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 in Sydney, Australia. In 2004 four of his students, Keeth Smart, Kamara James, Ivan Lee, and Erinn Smart represented the United States in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

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.

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

Westbrook was inducted into the USFA Hall of Fame in 1996.

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.

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).

In 1987, at the suggestion of Peter's friend, Tom Shepard, fencing clinics for inner-city 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. 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.

Westbrook was inducted into the New York University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.

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:

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.

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.

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.

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".

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.

Peter Jonathan Westbrook (born April 16, 1952) is an American former sabre fencing 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 underserved communities of New York City.