From Jaguar to Olympian
Lily Ceniceros (8)
“This was one of the very first times that the USA team had beaten Russia because there had always been this rivalry between us and every time we competed, Russia had beaten us.” This is what bronze medalist Courtney Hurley said when talking to Jordan students about her fencing match.
Courtney Hurley was a student who went to Jordan Middle School and Warren High School. She went from being a 7-year-old fencing athlete to a professional, Olympic, bronze medalist. Courtney was born in Houston, Texas, and moved to San Antonio, Texas shortly after. Courtney and her sister, Kelley, were trained by their father who was a Junior World Cup Points Champion and a Four-Time All-America First Team selection. Growing up, Courtney and her sister would train all of the time. According to Courtney, “We were never ones to go and hang out because it was always train again and again and again.”
“It felt special because she went to Jordan and it just felt good to see her there,” Adrianna Casanova, a student athlete at Jordan, quoted. During Courtney’s visit at Jordan Middle School, she explained to fellow students that it was not just about the talent, but the work you put in. Adrianna also specified, “I guess I felt that it doesn’t matter what school you go to, you still have a chance to be successful.”
Students were shown Courtney’s match that won her the bronze medal. She explained the detail of the tension and stress in the situation while students watched. “In this part of the match, it was basically sudden death. Whoever touched the person first, won,” Courtney clarified. Courtney defined herself as more of a defensive player in that match than when she usually competes. “I was chosen because I just attack and I’m more offensive. In this scenario though, I held back more because of the nerves.”
After watching the match, I asked Courtney, how she changed her mindset from being stressed and nervous to being a winning and confident one? “That’s a good question; it was just a switch I would say. In the match, as I was saying, I was being defensive and on guard, but I slowly just told myself to go quick.” Courtney has become an inspiration to many Jordan students now and she really showed us that you can go from an ordinary person to a very successful and life changing person no matter where you came from.