Whiz Kid of the Week: Fencer Ryan Carroll

Name: Ryan Carroll

Age: 14

School: Dunwoody High School

Accomplishment:  Having competed at the 2011 US Nationals, Dunwoody Freshman Ryan Carroll is in the top 25% of fencers in the country and is currently the Georgia Division points leader in his age group.

Key to Awesomeness:  

Ryan Carroll started fencing in June 2009 and has loved it ever since. “I enjoy fencing because it involves very fast strategy and counter-strategy of mind games between the two fencers in order to get a single touch out of many in a bout,” said Ryan.

Ryan competed in his first National fencing tournament in 2010 in Atlanta. “It was nice to compete in my first Nationals in Atlanta because I could go home at night, [but] since it was my first one, I was very nervous,” explained Ryan.

This July, the 2011 National Championships were in Reno, Nevada.  “I was not as nervous in Reno because I was familiar with a National event,” he said.

Ryan is part of the Dunwoody Fencing Club and fences for Dunwoody High School. When not fencing, he also enjoys skiing and kayaking.

Not just a competitive athlete, Ryan also plays upright bass, electric bass and guitar. He played with the Dekalb Youth Symphony Orchestra last year, has been in the Dunwoody High School orchestra for the past three years and in Dunwoody’s jazz band for the last two years.