CORRECTION: The original article’s headline and lede incorrectly spelled Zagunis’ last name. The article has been changed to reflect these corrections.
Twenty years ago, Mariel Zagunis was dragged along into a fencing gym after her older brother was inspired by watching a sword-fighting movie.
Little did she know that day would be her first step on a long road toward becoming one of the greatest fencers of all time.
Yesterday, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and U.S. Olympic flag bearer shared her story with about 60 students in Marie Mount Hall, and she encouraged members of the chiefly female audience to also pursue their dreams with preparation, perseverance and resolve.
The talk was part of the “Gender, Finance, and Power” lecture series, organized by the women’s studies department and TD Ameritade. Representatives from TD Ameritrade also spoke at the event, answering students’ questions regarding financial and career decision-making.
Zagunis said she was 10 years old when she approached her parents and proclaimed she would be an Olympic champion. In the years to come, she proved herself to be one of the best young fencers in the world, winning numerous international junior titles leading up the qualifying stages of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
However, Zagunis’ plans came to a screeching halt when she was defeated in the qualifying rounds.
“I was just ready to give up and quit,” Zagunis said.
However, by a stroke of good fortune Nigeria decided not to send their qualifying fencer, allowing Zagunis to compete in the games. Zagunis did not let this opportunity go to waste, and despite being the heavy underdog, she won her first Olympic gold medal.
Four years later, Zagunis found it difficult to cope with the added pressure and expectations of being a defending gold-medalist. As a result, her performance leading up to the 2008 Olympics in Bejing suffered and she began to become increasingly anxious.
It took some comforting words from her father to get Zagunis’ mind back on track.
“He told me that you have to allow yourself to be the fencer you want to be,” Zagunis said.
That advice turned out to be just what she needed. Not only did she have the honor of carrying the U.S. flag during the games, but she won gold for the second time in a row.
The panel of TD Ameritrade employees – which was almost completely comprised of women – then tied Zagunis’ story in with their own advice about how students can persevere in their career paths.
The company’s chief derivatives strategist JJ Kinahan, the only man on the panel, said the values that Zagunis displays as an athlete could also be applied to investing in the stock market. Emily Haverty, the company’s talent manager, said having a successful career was just as important for her as becoming a mother and raising a family.
“I think it’s important to stay true to who you are and what you want to be,” Haverty said.
Senior American studies major Jalisa Dixon said she was especially struck by Haverty’s statement.
“I don’t think enough of our panels talk about that,” Dixon said. “Being a career professional and a woman – it’s different.”
