[1] Smart's brother Keeth is also a nationally ranked competitive fencer who also started fencing with the Peter Westbrook Foundation.

After her father, an employee at Sports Illustrated, learned about a program aimed at encouraging minority participation in fencing, she began to take up the sport at age 11 at the Peter Westbrook Foundation, whose founder, Olympic saber bronze-medalist Peter Westbrook, has been her mentor.

[4] Both Smarts won at the 2004 U.S. Fencing National Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, with Erinn edging Hanna Thompson 13–11 in the semifinals, and then defeating three-time former Olympian Ann Marsh by 15–7 in the tournament final to take the title.

[7] Smart was selected as an alternate for the United States team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, but did not participate in the competition.

She outpointed sisters Iris and Felicia Zimmerman to earn a spot on the United States team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.