Rebecca Ward is the captain of the Duke Women’s Varsity Fencing Team. She won the bronze medal in both the individual and team sabre events at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In her subsequent collegiate fencing career, Rebecca claimed the NCAA national individual sabre title both in 2009 and 2011. But, don’t be intimidated by her impressive resume and ability to stab you – Becca is just another Dukie. Take a look!
Name: Rebecca Ward
Year: Senior
Major: Public policy major, psychology minor,
certificate in energy and the environment
HC: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Ward: I’m from Portland, Oregon originally. My
parents just moved to Morrisville, NC. On campus
I’m captain of the varsity fencing team, I’m on FAC
Board, I write for Rival Magazine, I’m on the
Undergraduate Conduct Board, and am a member
of Brownstone Selective Living Group.
HC: How did you get involved in fencing?
Ward: I got involved with fencing when I was about nine years old. I was actually diving at the time and I was looking for the pool at a new rec. center, and I actually opened the door and there was a fencing class. My dad has taken a P.E. class in college and really liked it so he signed my brother and I up. It kind of went from there!
HC: The road to the Olympics is obviously a difficult one. What were the biggest challenges you faced?
Ward: It’s an extremely intense process. There’s a lot of competitions, a lot of travel, a lot of practice. It’s a big commitment and it’s a big sacrifice. But, that was all worth it. I think the hardest part was [that] it’s a very political sport and it was just a lot of drama and things outside of fencing that were really bad the last two years. I had a lot of issues with my coach not really wanting me to go to Duke and that caused a lot of contention. So, I think that was definitely the hardest part.
HC: You started your freshman year at Duke right after the 2008 Olympics. Was it hard adjusting to college life? Could you sense you were a campus celebrity?
Ward:I was either “Becca Ward” or “The Fencer Girl” pretty much exclusively. I was horrified because at convocation President Broadhead called me out by name. I turned crimson and sunk through the pew. It was definitely an experience. I felt like there was a lot more scrutiny on me and I definitely didn’t have a typical wild freshman year because I was very cognizant of the fact that people knew who I was.
HC: How do you handle the demands of school, training, extracurriculars, and socializing?
Ward:Everything is balance. I’ve been doing a lot of stuff and trying to balance it for a very long time. Honestly, having so much on my plate makes me very efficient with my time and keeps me focused. When practice ends late in the semester I’m like: “Hey, I have two and a half hours. I’ll go take a nap or watch TV.” I manage to do it and I just make sure to schedule enough time [when] I can breathe and keep my priorities aligned. A lot of times I have to step back and be like you know what, this is not the biggest deal in the world. First world problems. It will be OK.
HC: What are your plans for after graduation? Is fencing in your future?
Ward:My plans [for] after graduation are a little up in the air. I’m applying for fellowships and looking for jobs. If there is a place I can fence I would love to continue it, but unfortunately the real world is going to dictate my choices a little bit more than fencing clubs.