Today’s Summer School episode from the IBI Archive is episode 25 with fencer and three-time Olympian, Daryl Homer. Hailing from the U.S. Virgin Islands, Daryl, along with his mother and sister relocated to the Gun Hill section of the Bronx when he was five.  His interest in fencing began at an early age, after encountering the word “Fencing” in a pictorial dictionary that his mother gave him.  Inspired, he begged his mother to begin lessons, but it wasn’t until a chance encounter with an advertisement featuring two black fencers did Daryl’s Mother finally cave into her son’s growing obsession.

And so, at the ripe old age of eleven, Daryl was enrolled at the Peter Westbrook Foundation, an organization founded by its namesake, Peter Westbrook, who took home the bronze in fencing in the 1984 Olympics, quickly seeing his potential, Daryl was placed on the Olympic track just one year later, and his path to the games began. 

By the age of 17, he’d already medaled in the Cadet World fencing championships, later, taking home gold in 7 Pan American championships, also competing in the 2012 Olympics in London, the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and most recently the 2021 Olympics in Tokyo.  At the Rio Games, Daryl took home the silver medal in men’s individual saber fencing, surpassing his mentor Mr. Westbrook, and thereby making him the highest-medaled Olympic fencer in American history.

In today’s episode, we discuss Daryl’s early beginnings in the Bronx, what it takes to have a champion mindset, how to recover from failure, and the power of imagination and visualization to overcome obstacles.  This is such a powerful episode, as we chart the sheer will and tenacity needed to accomplish big dreams. I learned so much, and I’m sure you will too.  Be sure to subscribe wherever you receive your podcasts, and leave us a review over on Apple Podcasts, we love to hear your thoughts and be sure to follow us over on Instagram at Blackimagination. And now I invite you to pull out your notepads, Daryl’s about to drop some wisdom.

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