At the core of Nick Harvey’s philosophical approach to the sport of fencing is something he learned from his father: “My dad emphasized the importance of being at tournaments to fence for myself, not to impress college coaches or to make my coaches proud. That allowed me to perform my best and know that I was fencing because I truly loved it.”
A senior and captain of the Columbia University fencing team, Harvey has been competing nationally in sabre since he was 15. Sabre is reactive, like rock-paper-scissors, with fencers only able to score from the waist up. At 15, he entered the top 20 for the 17U division.
Harvey’s development was shaped in part by the Nellya Fencers Club, his fencing club in Atlanta, Georgia, which he described as a great training environment with teammates his age always trying to be better. One of them, Colby Harley, even joined him at Columbia, so they are still pushing each other.
As Harvey’s senior year of high school approached, he had to decide where he wanted to pursue collegiate fencing. He considered several top programs, including Harvard University and the University of Notre Dame, before committing to the latter. However, he decommitted in the fall of 2021 after deep introspection, viewing Columbia as a more favorable environment to achieve his fencing goals and placing him in New York City among some of the best Black fencers in the world, specifically those nurtured at the Peter Westbrook Foundation.
A major influence on Harvey’s journey has been his longstanding relationship with former Columbia fencing head coach Akhnaten Spencer El, who joined the Lions as sabre coach in 2013. Spencer El is a U.S. national sabre champion, former No. 1 ranked Junior Sabre fencer, and 2000 Olympian who later coached the United States at major international events. Harvey has known Spencer El since he was in middle school, with their bond steadily growing over the years as the coach has pushed him towards reaching his vast potential.
“I’ve known Akhi since I was around 13 and when I expressed interest in Columbia he advocated for me during my recruiting process,” said Harvey. “At Columbia, he supported me wherever I was at with my relationship with fencing, whether I was trying for a national team or simply trying to win bouts for Columbia.”
The College Park, Georgia, native’s rise in the sport included earning third place at the May 2021 Olympic Qualifier in Richmond, Virginia, and another third place finish at the January 2020 20U Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Harvey’s journey has come with valuable lessons. He often thinks back to his sophomore year of high school, right after he did not make the 2020 world team. He was alone in Dourdan, France, and it was the first time he had given his all for something and still fallen short — a defining moment for Harvey’s growth.
As he leads the Columbia University men’s fencing team into this season, Harvey is striving to win the Ivy League championship team title, bring home a national title, and qualify for the national championships.