Peter Westbrook, the first Black American fencer to win an Olympic medal and a dedicated mentor to underserved youth in New York, has passed away at the age of 72. His death, attributed to complications from cancer, was announced on Friday by the Peter Westbrook Foundation.
“It is with profound grief that we announce the death of the Founder and CEO of the Peter Westbrook Foundation, Peter Westbrook,” read a statement shared on Instagram by Robert Cottingham, the foundation’s Board Chair. “Peter passed peacefully, surrounded by family, after a long and valiant battle with cancer.”
Westbrook made history at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, winning a bronze medal in individual saber—marking the first Olympic fencing medal for a Black American and the first for any American in 36 years. A five-time Olympian, he competed from the 1976 Montreal Games to the 1996 Atlanta Games and was later inducted into the United States Fencing Hall of Fame.
Beyond his athletic achievements, Westbrook’s legacy as a coach and mentor is equally remarkable. In 1991, he founded the Peter Westbrook Foundation (PWF) to provide fencing training and mentorship to underserved youth, nurturing the talents of seven Olympians. Among them, Lauren Scruggs, who competed with PWF, earned gold in women’s team foil and silver in individual women’s foil at the most recent Olympics.
“Peter was not only the leader of this organization; he was the consummate embodiment of dedication to athletic excellence, civic engagement, and youth mentorship,” the PWF statement added. “His inimitable spirit and unwavering dedication to cultivating scholar-athletes will be deeply missed.”
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Born in Kansas City on April 16, 1952, to a Black American father and a Japanese mother, Mariko Wada-Westbrook, Peter was raised in Newark, New Jersey. His mother, determined to keep him focused, introduced him to fencing, which ultimately earned him a scholarship to New York University. There, he won the 1973 NCAA sabre championship, launching a distinguished international career.
Westbrook also served on the U.S. Olympic Committee Board of Directors and advocated for sports as a tool for personal growth in testimony before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
He is survived by his wife, Susann; stepson, Dorian Miles, Sr.; sister, Vivian; grandchildren; and extended family.
Details about funeral services have not yet been announced, Corinne Cater, a family spokesperson told USA TODAY.
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