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Since the second grade, Kelly Williams wanted to be a teacher and a coach. At first, she thought it would be in physical education. Little did she know that she would become a pioneer and a leading architect of modern-day fencing, especially for young women.
As UNC continues to celebrate 50 Years of Carolina Women’s Athletics, Williams’ story as a student-athlete-turned -coach highlights the power that women’s athletics can have on a sport.
“Kelly is a wonderful teacher and mentor in the world of fencing,” said fencing head coach Matt Jednak. “She is powerful both on the strip and in her coaching of the next generation of fencers. Her journey has impacted so many and she is truly a pioneer in our community.”
Originally recruited to be a member of the track and field program at Carolina, Williams participated in shot put for the Tar Heels while working on her major in Physical Education from 1986 until 1989.
As a result of that major, Williams, then a second-semester junior in Chapel Hill, found herself in a class with Ron Miller, who coached fencing at Carolina from 1967 until 2019. Having never before picked up a weapon, Williams learned quickly about the sport and found a new passion—and a new mentor.
“He poured a lot into me through the years, and he has been a tremendous friend,” Williams said. “He is maybe the best coach I have had the privilege to work with. He recognized that I was in Physical Education because I wanted to teach and coach, and right from the beginning he was teaching me both as an athlete and a coach.”
Her new passion turned into success in fencing, as Miller asked her to try out for the fencing team. She, of course, made the squad.
At that time, women who competed in fencing traditionally only competed with the foil weapon. It wasn’t until 1996 that women were able to pick up the epee in their own competition.
Sabre, as it turns out, was not an option for women, either. Williams wanted to change that, and Miller was willing to coach her in the weapon deemed “too brutal” for female athletes.
“Sabre fits my personality better,” Williams said. “It’s more assertive, more aggressive, faster. And so, I was always drawn to it, I just couldn’t compete in it in college. But Coach Miller was fine with giving me sabre lessons even though it wasn’t something I could compete in while at college.”
It wasn’t until after graduating from Carolina that Williams would be able to compete in sabre consistently. She went on to compete in the 1998 World Championships in a demonstration with the weapon, winning the silver medal for the United States in international competition.
Williams then fenced internationally in Seoul in 1999, in what would end up being her final season for the United States. Although she wanted to become an Olympian in her sport, sabre would not be added to the Olympic games until 2004 in Athens.
“I knew at that point they weren’t going to add women’s sabre to the Olympic Games in 2000,” she said. “If they had, I may have tried for one more season because my knees probably had one more season in them. But they didn’t have five.”
It wasn’t just her knees telling her that her competition days were waning—but her heart as well. At the Nationals competition in 1999, she found herself competing at the same time as one of her students, a nine-year-old boy, reaching the boys’ semifinal.
“I had to leave him. Left my heart on the strip with him and went to fence my bout,” she said. “He lost and I lost so we were both done for the day. That was the day I knew I couldn’t do both simultaneously, I couldn’t do both well. So, I set aside fencing for myself and focused on continuing to coach.”
On a quest to fulfill her dream of teaching and coaching, she took the reins for the Kansas City Fencing Center as its executive director in 1999. Her passion for teaching others remains to this day.
And yes, she teaches sabre to women.
“Fencing is very empowering for women—especially sabre fencing. It’s putting down the naysayers who say it’s not something for women. Well, why not? Why is it not something for women? Women are every bit as effective on the strip, no less competitive than men.”
Williams does not take for granted that sabre is now commonplace for women. Now a fully recognized weapon for women at the Olympic level, she is grateful that women can pick up any weapon and fence in the division they choose.
In fact, her students have reached NCAA Regional and National Fencing championships and placed in the top-eight of every United States Fencing Association sabre age group.
She is proud of each and every one of her fencers, past and present, and she is especially proud of the young women who have picked up the sabre and competed nationally and internationally in the weapon that she pioneered for women.
Her advice to young women, especially those who are competing, reflects her story of a woman pioneering and fighting for her sport.
“For those young women who have that competitive urge, you don’t have to set it aside,” Williams said. “Being competitive in sport gives them that taste of what it’s like to be competitive in life. You don’t get where you are in life without fighting to get there. Sport gives you that taste of what it’s like to fight for something and you can carry that with you.”
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