Since establishing herself as an international force in women’s foil at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, U.S. fencer Lauren Scruggs has graduated from Harvard University, returned to New York City, begun a full-time job, and returned to fencing’s World Cup circuit. At the recent Busan SK Telecom Senior World Cup competition in South Korea, Scruggs joined teammates Lee Kiefer, Jaelyn Liu, and Carolina Stutchbury in claiming the silver medal in the foil team event.
“Going into that, I was a little nervous because I’ve been working a full-time job, so I’ve been balancing fencing and that,” said Scruggs. “The day of [competition], I was really feeling myself, feeling my moves and everything, so I took it bout by bout. I’ve been working on some new things, and I saw those things come out during the tournament.”
While she still brings strength and energy, Scruggs, 22, is trying to bring maturity to her fencing. “I was a little more tactical,” she said. “I’m still pretty explosive, but I’m adding in some older fencer components to my game.”
Scruggs, who has international competitions on her schedule in 2026, decided to take a full-time position in wealth management. While she no longer has classes and exams, there are new demands on her schedule, but juggling multiple things is nothing new. She has competed in three tournaments this fall, placing well. Her immediate goals are becoming more consistent, winning a World Cup event, and continuing to improve.
A New York native, returning home has allowed Scruggs to be more active with the Peter Westbrook Foundation. As much as she can, she attends the Saturday morning community events for kids. “With Peter gone (Westbrook passed away in 2024), we’re beginning a new era of the program,” said Scruggs, who is building up the foundation’s foil training. “Providing a good environment for the kids just to enjoy…and leave every Saturday wanting to come back.”
As college sports face new challenges and dynamics, USA Fencing has taken a proactive approach to ensuring fencing remains a collegiate sport. Scruggs rose to Olympic prominence while at Harvard and values her experiences with collegiate competition.
“To be able to go to Harvard was amazing; it changed my life to have that opportunity,” said Scruggs. “I think it’s super important to have fencing be an NCAA sport. [Intercollegiate competition] was really fun, and it allowed me to maintain my passion for fencing. If I wasn’t fencing in college, maybe I wouldn’t have been as enthusiastic or have the drive to go to the Olympics.”