Temple University Athletics
Fencing Alumna Kamali Thompson's OwlSports Summer Series Feature
7.18.19 | Women's Fencing
For this year's Summer Series, Temple Athletics is highlighting a handful of alumni in profile stories that feature their accomplishments in life after their time at the University. These individuals have taken the time to share their experiences and memories from Temple and reflect on their involvement as a student-athlete.
Our latest feature of the series is fencing alumna Kamali Thompson ('12).
When you think back on your time at Temple, what do you recall most vividly?
When I think about my time at Temple University, I always think about the diversity of the campus first. There were so many different students with various backgrounds, and I felt you were always able to learn about people. Even within the athletic department, there were people from all over the country and the world. This gave me the opportunity to experience different cultures.
Talk about your post-Temple professional career. What are you doing now and what was your path to your current position?
After graduating Temple, I matriculated into Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey and also went to Rutgers Business school for my MBA. I continued fencing after college and became a 13-time national medalist, U.S National Champion and I am a now a 2020 U.S. Olympic hopeful. In addition to fencing and school, I created a travel/fitness/education blog, "Saber & A Stethoscope", to share my experiences with others.(www.kamalithompson.com)
How did Temple University, and in specific Temple Fencing prepare you for life after graduation?Â
Fencing is a great way to prepare for your career and adult life in general. It's an individual sport that requires discipline and dedication to improvement. During a bout, you need to incorporate strategy and focus into every decision you make. From a team aspect, you really learn how to collaborate and manage multiple personalities. These skills are easily transferrable to the medical world and will be necessary once I become a surgeon.Â
What accomplishment are you most proud of and why?
My junior and senior year, I was named PNC Student-Athlete of the Year and was the first athlete to receive the award twice. This is one of my biggest accomplishments because I had a limited fencing experience prior to Temple. My ability to develop into a strong fencer in just four years was extremely difficult but incredibly rewarding. Being named Student-Athlete of the Year was great recognition that my hard work as a biology major and dedication to fencing had paid off.
What advice would you give to current student-athletes?
I would advise student-athletes to use their resources while they're at Temple. People have great respect for a student-athlete's ability to excel in athletics and manage their schoolwork. They will be willing to help a student-athlete either in school or during their career search. It is important to start networking as soon as possible to ensure you will have success early in your career.
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Players Mentioned
