Q&A
How did you get started in your sport?
I was playing baseball when I was 13. Peter Westbrook, an Olympian fencer, happened to watch our game and noticed that I was a pretty decent athlete. Peter suggested that I might be good at fencing.

My first impression of fencing was, 'This isn't for me." But one day Peter did a demonstration that was so exciting it gave me the motivation I needed to stick with it.

How has participating in a sport like fencing changed your life?
I'm from Harlem, and I spent a lot of time hanging out in the streets. I was terrible in school, and was hanging out with my friends and getting in a lot of trouble.

Fencing and my mother helped me to find a focus that I had never had before. I owed it to my family, myself, and everyone involved to make the most of that second chance. That chance indicated that someone believed in me, so I needed to believe in myself and carry myself with pride to show the belief in me was well founded.

I transferred the focus and discipline from fencing to school. My grades, and more importantly, my attitude, improved because of my new interest.

What advice do you have for kids who face the same challenges you faced?
A lot of kids who roam the streets and get in trouble are consumed with having "power." The greatest power is learning. Only we can make the decision of what our future holds for us. But if we take that first step, the ones that follow will come more easily with time, and the feeling we get from pursuing meaningful, worthwhile endeavors will make us into people that we, and everyone around us, will be proud of.

The Olympic Spirit in YOU!
Fencing gave Akhnaten Spencer-El a reason to evaluate his life and make a commitment to changing it for the better.

Perhaps the most difficult part of any commitment is making the decision to accept the commitment. As you think about school, sports, and goals that you have, consider the kinds of commitments you need to make. Write down the following:

What types of commitment does your school work, sport, or goal require? What commitments do you need to make to improve in these areas? Make a plan to stick to your commitments. What do step you need to take first? Next? What else follows? How will the commitments you make be helpful to you?

More Interviews

Akhnaten Spencer-El Alison Dunlap Anna Kozlova Barb Kunkel Chris Witty Dominique Moceanu Dan O'Brien Hunter Kemper

Jimmy Pedro Kevin Han Lindsay Davenport Laura Wilkinson Lisa Fernandez Mark Ruiz Ruthie Bolton-Holifield Tom Malchow

With thanks to Bob Schaller. For more great stories about Olympians, ask your librarian about The Olympic Dream and Spirit, Vol. 1,2, and 3, with Mr. Schaller, and Awaken the Olympian Within compiled by John Naber.