Kamara James Dies At 29: ‘Mental Illness’ Was Her ‘Most Unrelenting Adversary’

Olympic fencer Kamara James has died at the age of 29, according to a report released by The Grio.

According to the report, the former Team USA Olympic athlete passed away in Modesto, California. A story from the Modesto Bee reveals her death was reported on September 20.

Don Anthony, president of USA Fencing, released a statement on the organization’s official website in response to the confirmed announcement of her death.

“Kamara James was one of the brightest, precocious, self-assured young people I ever met. From her time as a very young fencer at the Peter Westbrook Foundation to her years at Princeton as an accomplished Olympian she remained warm, caring and confident. Kamara’s untimely passing leaves our fencing community very saddened and her spirit, charm and wit will be dearly missed.”

As of right now, it is still not clear as to how Kamara James died. However, a report released by Eric Rosenberg with Fencing.net confirmed that Kamara battled with “mental illness” as her “most unrelenting adversary.”

“Unfortunately, mental illness proved Kamara’s most unrelenting adversary. Still, just prior to her death, she had resumed a stable drug regimen, was living comfortably and had begun thinking about the future.”

At the young age of 19, Kamara James was a member of Team USA at the 2004 Olympic Games. James was the only women’s epee fencer from the United States that qualified for the event.

Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Kamara James moved with her family to Queens, NY at the age of 10. Even with such a difficult transition at such a young age, James thrived academically in school – receiving a full scholarship to The Dwight School. Her high grades and SAT scores also earned Kamara a scholarship to attend Princeton University.

Even though she did not have the financial backing and support of many of her Olympic competitors when it came to training for the Games, Kamara James did not allow that to stop her from reaching her goal of competing. According to USA Fencing, James developed a business plan and generated over $50,000 in donations that allowed her to turn her dream into a reality.

Keeth Smart, 2009 Olympic silver medalist, competed against Kamara James in Athens but also trained alongside her for more than ten years when they studied together at the Peter Westbrook Foundation. In a recent statement, Keeth stated that Kamara James was “one of the smartest people” he knew, especially when it came to developing that business plan.

“She was really grounded in terms of knowing how to take the steps she would need to reach any goal… Bar none, Kamara was one of the smartest people I’ve ever come across. Sometimes the strongest and fastest win, but to have a great career in fencing, you have to be one of the smartest and she definitely was it.”

As of now, no announcement has been made in regards to a memorial service for Kamara James.

[Image Credit: Veooz]