Nicole Ross
An American fencer who helped vault the U.S. women's foil team to the top of the world with a historic 2018 gold.
Born 1989 (age 37)·American fencer·Birthday: January 15·Millennials
Biography
Nicole Ross grew up in New York City and found her athletic calling on the fencing strip. Her talent flourished at Columbia University, where she became a three-time All-American and captured the 2010 NCAA individual women's foil title, a rare feat for an Ivy League athlete. This collegiate success paved her way to the international stage. Ross made her Olympic debut at the 2012 London Games, gaining invaluable experience. Her career is defined by her role as a cornerstone of the U.S. women's foil team. For years, she and her teammates chipped away at the European dominance of the sport, a grind that culminated in a spectacular breakthrough at the 2018 World Championships in Wuxi, China. There, Ross and Team USA struck gold, securing the first-ever world team title for the United States in women's foil and reshaping the global landscape of the sport.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Nicole was born in 1989, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nicole Was Born
The biggest hits of 1989
#1 Movie
Batman
Best Picture
Driving Miss Daisy
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Nicole's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1989Born
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1994Started school
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2002Became a teenager
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2005Could drive
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2007Could vote
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2010Turned 21
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2019Turned 30
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 37 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2010 NCAA individual women's foil championship while fencing for Columbia University.
- Earned three-time All-American honors during her collegiate fencing career.
- Competed in the individual and team women's foil events at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
- Won a gold medal in the women's team foil event at the 2018 World Fencing Championships.
Did You Know?
She is a graduate of Columbia University, where she studied sociology.
She began fencing at the age of nine at the Fencers Club in New York City.
Her 2018 World Championship gold medal was the first for the U.S. in the women's team foil event.
“Fencing is physical chess; you must think three moves ahead.”
