Name: Daryl Homer
Profession: Olympic Fencer
Age: 25
I have put my passion to purpose by: becoming a champion for bringing under privileged athletes into the sport of fencing. Whether it’s publicly speaking on the need for diversity in the sport, teaching fencing clinics in the inner city, or supporting programs that enable inner city youth to experience the sport- I’ve constantly sought opportunities to use my Olympic background to help my community. My passion has also given me a voice in the press and media, which I use to inspire children who may have grown up the same way I did.
At the age of 5 a young boy from the Bronx found the peculiar sport of fencing. Basketball, football or almost any sport other then fencing would have seemed more likely, but Daryl Homer had found his passion. At 11 he began to show promise and trained every day for 5 years. After tasting defeat after defeat, Homer decided he wanted to win. Now 16 years old, Homer began coming in early to the fencing club and has not stopped ever since. In 2006 he won a Cadet World Championship medal, and for the first time realized that he was on the path to being great.
For Homer there was something liberating about being given a sabre, and being allowed to use it constructively. “I knew fencing was what I was meant to do the first time I came across the sport,” Homer tells BE Modern Man. “After the London Olympic Games my passion for the sport only grew. I was inspired by the caliber of athletes, and their devotion to their sport, and it was there that I decided fencing would be my primary career.
Equally inspired by his mother, Homer witnessed her work ethic which challenged him to set a higher personal standard. Seeing the various obstacles she navigated so that he and his sister could have fair footing in life was enough for him to pursue excellence. “Striving to be excellent in every facet of life is what was instilled in me,” says Homer. “In college I maintained a high GPA, won 2 NCAA Championships,interned, and qualified for the 2012 Olympics. Post graduation I worked at a world renowned ad agency (Anomaly) on it’s largest piece of business at the time, while qualifying for the Rio Olympic games. I measure myself against the very best in every field, and even if it’s unrealistic my passion pushes me to strive to be the best across the board.”
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