Former Ohio State fencer returns from retirement to win bronze in Paris
In the story of her life, Eleanor Harvey always saw herself going to the Olympics.
Growing up, she did karate, thinking it would be her best chance to become an Olympian for her home country of Canada. When she learned to her dismay that karate was not then an Olympic sport, a family member suggested fencing because it had similar movements and attack mechanisms.
So Harvey picked up sticks in the backyard and began "sword fighting." She imagined herself as a book character in old-time England, jousting like a knight.
"I'm going to the Olympics for sword fighting!" the 10-year-old claimed.
Nineteen years later, Harvey has done just that, winning a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. It was the first fencing medal for Canada and the first for her alma mater, Ohio State.
Yet Harvey would not have written this improbable story. If you had asked her at the last Olympics, her career should have ended in Tokyo.
As she was growing up, Harvey's mom made sacrifices to make the Olympic dream happen for her daughter. Her mother sold her house to be able to afford fencing tournaments, and the mother-daughter duo moved in with Harvey's grandmother, who slept on the couch so that Harvey could have a bed.
The sacrifice paid off. In 2013, Harvey earned a spot on the Ohio State fencing team. Her time as a Buckeye served as a training ground for an international stage that prepared her for her Olympic dreams.
In 2016, Harvey became the NCAA women's foil national champion. That summer, she competed in her first Olympics, the Rio de Janeiro Games. After she graduated from Ohio State, Harvey competed internationally, earning a bid for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In Tokyo, Harvey finished seventh, Canada's best-ever individual result in Olympic fencing. Shortly after, the Canadian declared her retirement. She felt mentally and physically drained, ready to move on.
But after some time away from the sport, Harvey reconsidered, finding a new coach, Alice Lu, who blew a second wind in her fencing career.
Harvey grew up idolizing Lu. When Harvey turned 18, she trained with Lu on the Canadian national fencing team. At that time, being able to meet and train with Lu — who, Harvey said, "was like a god" — changed the trajectory of her career. Now, with Lu as her full-time coach, Harvey entered her third Olympic games knowing she had a chance to rewrite her story in Paris.
After Harvey earned bronze, she recalled her days at Ohio State, which prepared her for the Olympics.
"I think the NCAA, not only the coaching but the format of the tournament, really prepared me for this bronze medal," Harvey said. "In NCAA fencing, you have to lose and keep fencing, whereas at World Cups, if you lose, you're out. I think the NCAA style of tournament gave me some mental resilience."
After writing Canadian fencing history, Harvey said her break from fencing has reignited her spark for the sport.
"It's taken my entire life to put myself in a position where I could be the best that I can be," she said. "Nothing can take away from what I've accomplished in my career so far, but there's more. After a break, there's more in me."
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