Harvard is full of talented musicians, out-of-this-world mathematicians, and people with countless other talents. Among the seemingly endless sea of talented students, are those who excel at sports. But not just any sport, this week I took a look at two incredibly successful athletes, both training for the Olympics, who have dedicated their lives to the not-so-average sport.

First up, Eli Dershwitz. Eli is a Harvard student and member of Harvard's Varsity Fencing Team, who recently qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as a saber fencer. He was the 2015 Junior World Champion, 2016 Senior Grand Prix Champion, and is a well-established fencer on the national, international, and collegiate circuits. Eli took this year off from school in order to train and chase his goal of Olympic qualification, which he successfully accomplished. This is what he had to say about his experience as a fencer for the past decade or so...

ELI: I was 9 years old when I started fencing. I train 2 to 3 times a day everyday. It involves a variety of cardio, weights, footwork, explosiveness/agility exercises, swimming, private lessons one on one with my coach, drills, open fencing, yoga etc. But I also take 2 days of complete rest before every competition. My training regiment last year was tough when I was at school, but nothing what it is like now. It required me to manage my time extremely well in order to keep up academically as well as balance a social life. I want an Olympic Medal, plain and simple. That is my goal, and what pushes me. So far, I haven't had any regrets. I have made mistakes, yes, but that's part of life and training full time. I'm constantly trying to learn and improve on what I'm doing, which is what counts. What motivates me is my love of the sport, it's beauty, complexity, and how it can bring so many different people from so many different corners of the globe together. That love constantly pushes me to work just that much harder, and push just that much closer to my limits in order to be the absolute best.

Also a rising sophomore, Dean Travers has his sights set on the 2018 Winter Olympics as a ski racer. Like Eli, he has dedicated his life to his sport, and has seen much success thus far. With the road to 2018 ahead of him, this is what Dean had to say about his history with the sport he loves, and where he sees all of his passion taking him...

DEAN: I first started skiing when I was around 2 years old, and I can only imagine how negligent my parents must have been in order to let such a young kid slide around on a mountain! Though, it wasn’t until I was around 11 that I started ski racing competitively. The phrase may be “winter is coming,” but for me it’s more like “winter is never leaving.” It really is a year round search for the cold and snowy; I know, I know, call me crazy. We’ve had to make a few adjustments to squeeze in college life. Luckily, I now find myself getting to enjoy a few more mild, damp fall days in Boston, which is a big step up from a frozen blizzard. Managing training as well as student life at Harvard has been a balancing act so far, and I definitely had to take a leap of faith this past fall and winter. I started the ski season much later than my peers, but being able to take a leave of absence for the spring semester afforded me all the time I needed to catch right back up. My most visible passion is ski racing, but equally valuable areas for me are entrepreneurship and scholastics, specifically software development and computer science. I’ve always attempted to pursue each with every ounce of my energy in order to reach the highest levels. Being able to attend Harvard has been an opportunity like none I’ve ever received, and I’m thrilled to see where my disparate, but hopefully symbiotic, paths and interests will take me. The only regrets I may currently have will be washed away in time by the outcomes of the process I’ve dedicated myself to; that’s what I tell myself anyways when things are going a bit sideways and I’m hyperventilating while yelling to myself, “everything is going to be okay!” I only have one chance in my entire life to fulfill my athletic ambitions, so to waste the opportunity that lies in front of me would be something I would forever regret. There are times when it seems impossible to simultaneously fully exert myself entrepreneurially, academically, and also athletically, but it is during those dark times that I realize there's nothing else I’d rather be doing. I thrive on pushing myself to the limits, and I think it’s better to genuinely try and fail, than to never have tried at all.

Harvard is an institution which hosts unbelievable accomplishments, but behind every gold medalist, Pulitzer Prize winner, and entrepreneur, is a student, a regular person balancing CS50 assignments and Saturday night parties. Best of luck to both Dean and Eli in their future endeavors! Thank you both so much for sharing your experiences with The Odyssey!