Kamara Latoya James (November 23, 1984 – September 20, 2014) was an American Olympic épée fencer.
[10] She then attended Princeton University on a full academic scholarship, majoring in religious studies.
[6][11] James began fencing at age 11 during fifth grade, through the Peter Westbrook Foundation, which had been set up by American Olympic bronze medalist Peter Westbrook to offer fencing lessons to inner-city children in New York.
Morgan Stanley provided her with $50,000 towards her Olympic expenses after she served an internship at the firm.
[7] She competed in the 2004 Olympics as a 19-year-old, the only American in the women's individual épée event.
[6][8] James was diagnosed with schizophrenia in her senior year at Princeton, when she had a breakdown and was hospitalized for three months.
[14] Due to her schizophrenia and various mental difficulties she spent much of her 20s in halfway houses or on the streets and homeless.
[13] James died at age 29, and was found September 20, 2014, in her apartment in Modesto, California.