She’s going to pursue as many of her dreams as possible!
Olympic fencer Kamali Thompson is on her way to becoming a surgeon, Girls United reports.
Thompson has always been a gifted child, starting high school at just 12 years old. During her freshman year, she took up fencing, eventually joining the fencing club as a junior. 15 years later, she’s continued keeping up with the sport, serving as an alternate fencer on Team USA for the Tokyo Olympics.
“Once you really find what you love and what you’re passionate about, just forget what everyone else is saying. Because if you’re doing something different, people are always going to ask you why you’re doing it. They’re going to doubt you, but if you love it and you’re good at [it], it’s going to take you far. I’m excited that I’m a fencer,” said Thompson.
Despite her success in the sport, Thompson never let go of her other dreams, going on to graduate from business school and then medical school in 2021. Now, the 30-year-old is an orthopedic surgery resident, something she says she always wanted to do.
“I always wanted to be a doctor. I couldn’t wait to see my pediatrician. She was an older Black woman and I wanted to be her because she made me feel great. I want to make other kids feel like that,” she said.
The 30-year-old says she also wants people to know that it’s ok to pursue multiple careers at the same time.
“I can take my fencing, my medical career, and my MBA and make it into whatever I want to make it into. I think that’s exciting. I want to open up other opportunities for myself, whatever they may be, down the line,” Thompson said.
The New Jersey native has begun chronicling her story via a blog, Saber & A Stethoscope, where she shares stories about her educational endeavors, travel and fitness. Thompson first started the blog in 2016 and has continued to grow it since then. She hopes to inspire others and wants to encourage people to live a full life and just believe in themselves.
“People feel lost, especially in today’s time with social media. You feel people don’t like you, you’re not smart enough, you’re not good enough, you don’t have the best clothes. I want to say that it’s okay to feel like that, but you can’t let that wear yourself down. Know your self-esteem. You have to find what you’re good at, find what you love. That is going to give you confidence and open many doors for you to make you into the person that you are meant to become,” said Thompson.
Congratulations Kamali! The sky’s is just the beginning!
Photo Courtesy of Charles Parsons Photography/Kamali Thompson/Instagram