Nzingha Prescod OLY

What began at age nine became a story that reshaped the history of American fencing. Nzingha Prescod’s journey from Brooklyn to the world stage is one of talent, discipline, and quiet revolution. Before her, trailblazers like Ruth White the first African American woman to qualify for the Olympics in foil in 1972 and later Nikki Franke, Sharon Monplaisir, and Olympic silver medalist Erinn Smart had already opened doors in a sport that once had none. Prescod built on that foundation and took it further, rewriting history for a new generation. Born in New York and named after Queen Nzinga Mbande of Angola the warrior who fought colonization Prescod has lived up to her name. At nine, she picked up a foil at the Peter Westbrook Foundation, a program created to empower youth of color through fencing. By her teens, she was already a prodigy, winning back-to-back Cadet World Championships in 2008 and 2009, followed by the Junior World Championship title in 2011. At Columbia University, she balanced academics with athletics, becoming Ivy League Rookie of the Year and graduating with a degree in Political Science. At just 19, she represented Team USA at the 2012 London Olympics, and a year later made history in France, winning the Marseille Grand Prix the first-ever U.S. woman to claim a Grand Prix gold in foil. Her defining moment came in 2015, when she earned bronze at the World Championships in Moscow, becoming the first African American woman to medal individually at that level. Three years later, she helped lead Team USA to its first team gold in women’s foil at the 2018 World Championships in China. Prescod later founded Fencing in the Park, offering free lessons to children, and launched PISTE the Prescod Institute for Sport, Teamwork, and Education, empowering students to see sport as a tool for transformation. In 2021, she joined the USA Fencing Board of Directors, and in 2024, she was inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame, honoring her lasting impact on and beyond the piste. “The most successful people don’t allow excuses to get in their way they do what’s necessary for their vision.” > Written by @halimatsijuade

Love a good fit and gala to celebrate our kids and partners at PISTE @pisteacademy ! Thank you for supporting @sparkyouthnyc 🤩

A special thank you to @womenssportsfoundation for bringing together an incredible room of female athletes every year, reminding us all of our power, capacity and grace❤️ #everyonewatcheswomenssports

A most wonderful summer in no particular order ❤️

33, BLESS

USA Fencing Hall of Fame ✨ I’m so proud of my fencing career and grateful for the special people I bonded with along the way. Thank you for being part of my story. I feel so blessed to have been chosen for this ride. Fencing taught me to think intricately, and push myself intensely. It forced me to be brave, and let go of hesitations. Winning and medals were icing on the cake but more than anything, I wanted to trust myself and fully express myself. In fencing, you’re battling your opponent, but more-so, yourself. In team fencing, there are roles each member plays. There’s “the anchor” who scores the final touches and clinches the win. There’s “the setup” who aims to get a score advantage in the second to last bout, by going +1 or +2. Then there’s “the sandwich” who keeps the score even or positive, earlier in the match. I was so clutch in my setup role & loved passing it over to Lee to finish against France, Russia, Italy etc. It was very difficult to retire from fencing, especially at the peak of USA Women’s Foil but I’m proud to have been part of setup ❤️ I know everything for me will never miss me. I’m so grateful for the community at PISTE @pisteacademy where I can continue to share my lessons learned I want to give a special thank you to my mother who was such a visionary and worked tirelessly to prepare me for this path. My sister who has been my day in and out support longtime. Peter and Bob, along with all my @peterwestbrookfoundation teammates and mentors who continue to be family to lean on. My National team girlies who I share so many unforgettable memories with. Iron sharpens iron and forever grateful for our memories on/off the strip @leetothekiefer , Nicole, @margaret_lu @dorisevawillette @smassi My coaches, @usafencing cadre, therapists, trainers who spent so much time with me to support all the pieces of performance Buckie, @michael.s.mcclain.3 @andrea_magro61 @alex.c.martin @gmassialas @amgadkhazbak @akyilla @kinkeadscott81 @drscottaweiss @manhattanphysio @katereisinger @jh_yamin Thank you to anyone who has ever been in my box, on/off the strip, and to those who never stop believing in me. Lots of love, especially to my angels 🕊️❤️

This Juneteenth, wishing my favorite girly (and every girly and boy) all the freedoms the world has to offer ✨ Happy Freedom Day my heart ❤️

Precious moments at home with my little to celebrate our first year. Forever blessed. Happy birthday to the sweetest girl 🫶🏾 Thank you for choosing me to be your mama 💗✨ Captured by @caughtbykent 📸 Selah styled by Titi @slimgoddess 🥰

Thank you @columbiabac for recognizing and celebrating our work at @pisteacademy ✨❤️ So glad I was able to share the moment with my little, Selah Marva 💗

Tickets in bio. 📣Spotlighting our Next Rising Star Honoree📣Nzingha Prescod is a Brooklyn native and one of the most decorated athletes in USA fencing history. A two-time Olympian, World Champion, and four-time Senior World Medalist, she made history in 2015 as the first Black woman to win an individual medal at the Senior World Championships, earning bronze. In July 2018, she and her team secured Team USA’s first-ever World Championship gold medal for USA Foil. Additionally, she became the first American woman to win a foil Grand Prix and has ranked as high as fifth in the world. In recognition of her achievements, she was inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024. Nzingha graduated from New York City’s prestigious Stuyvesant High School. In 2015, she graduated from Columbia College, Columbia University where she studied Political Science with a concentration in Race and Ethnicity Studies. As the Founder and Executive Director of The Prescod Institute for Sport, Teamwork, and Education (PISTE), she is committed to expanding access to high-quality and inclusive sports education. She continues to influence the sports world as a board member of USA Fencing and as a member of the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s Council on Social and Racial Justice.

Over the weekend, we lost an an absolute Legend, Peter Westbrook. Peter is a Giant - his impact in my life and the thousands of lives he influenced, is beyond words. I was so fortunate to have known him closely for many, many years and I’m honored to be part of his legacy. Peter spoiled me with his love and wisdom at an early age - when I started at the Foundation as a quiet, quiet 9 year old. I’m forever thankful to him not only for introducing me to fencing and the world that has changed my life, but really for believing in me and being the Father Figure who shaped my childhood and young adult years. I’m so appreciative to you, Peter, for your warmth and the haven you created. Thank you for providing me with lifelong community filled with love and purpose. There is no one like Peter, he’s truly one of a kind in his capacity to love, give, inspire and offer compassion. You will be sorely missed and wishing you a peaceful rest while we continue to sow your seeds. So much love, Nzingha

What an honor for PISTE and I to partner with @womenssportsfoundation @gainbridgesport @paritynow this past week, to amplify and celebrate women in sports for Parity Week! #ParityWeek We hosted two events to give more than 125 students in our network the opportunity to experience fencing at a more intimate level, focusing on inspiring young girls to play and stay engaged with sports. Lauren Scruggs OLY, Olympic gold and silver medalist from Paris (!), graced us with her presence on a webcast with more than 100 students from the Bronx. So appreciate Lauren for sharing her story with our students, reminding all of us to turn the negative to positive by building on our inner strength and focusing on yourself. Swipe for some snippets of our chat. Thank you for being you! Over the weekend, we welcomed 25 new girls and their families to our PISTE Academy facility, for an all-girls demonstration match! Thank you @postglowiab for facilitating the session, teaching the beauty of our sport to the next generation. Many thanks to Council Member Banks @cmchrisbanks for his generous funding support and stopping by for a few words of encouragement. Shoutout to our team and families at @pisteacademy for always holding it down and making the magic happen ✨