MCDOWALD Curtis

Personal Information

Residence New York, NY, USA

Occupation Athlete

Languages English

License number 23011996002

Club

Upcoming Events

Sport Specific Information

When and where did you begin this sport? He began fencing at age 12 at the Peter Westbrook Foundation in Manhattan, NY, United States of America.

Why this sport? His mother encouraged him to try the sport. "She introduced the concept to me and when she explained what it was, I thought I was going to have like a Jedi match or I'd get to slay someone or something."

Club / Team Peter Westbrook Foundation [USA] / Fencers Club Inc. [USA]:

Handedness Right

General Interest

Hobbies Collecting vintage watches. (teamusa.org, 01 Jan 2019)

Memorable sporting achievement Winning bronze in individual epee at the 2019 World Cup event in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (FIE Fencing Channel YouTube channel, 24 Oct 2019)

Most influential person in career His coaches at St. John's University in the United States of America. (timesledger.com, 15 Oct 2017)

Sporting philosophy / motto "Don't let the lack of seeing people with your same skin colour or same face prevent you from pursuing a sport, don't let people of your own race devalue what you're doing. If this is something that you really want to do, there are so many opportunities and you will be a pioneer because you're doing something different." (timesledger.com, 15 Oct 2017)

Other information EARLY DAYS
His first fencing match at age 12 was against a boy who was much older and taller. "He scored the first point and one of the instructors, who is a St. John's alumnus, Adam Rodney, comes up to me and tells me a couple of instructions, like take a parry pose. So I did exactly what he said and I scored. Another St. John's alumnus, Ben Bratton, also gave me some instructions. He said, 'Just make a straight attack on him'. I did exactly that and I won the match. It was my first ever match. It was at that moment they were like, 'He gets it'. I remember it so well because it was the first time I met all these faces, first time they directly spoke to me, and now [in 2017] these are some of the closest people in my life. It's a moment I can't ever forget." (timesledger.com, 15 Oct 2017)