Jan York Romary, the remarkable woman who competed as a fencer in six consecutive Olympics, from 1948 through 1968, passed away May 31, 2007 in Klamath Falls, OR .

While her longevity is unusual, fencers as a group tend to have longer careers than other athletes because of the sport's mental component.

"Fencing is like a physical chess game," she says. "You must think ahead to third and fourth intentions. As you get older, your physical ability may diminish, but you mature mentally. You compensate by out-thinking your opponent."

As recognition for her extraordinary streak of Olympic appearances, Romary was honored at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968 by being the first woman to carry the flag for the United States.

Romary's association with the Olympics and the sport of fencing continued well beyond her Olympic competition. She was women's administrator for the United States Olympic Committee for the Montreal Olympics in 1976, responsible for all U.S. women competitors, and she was commissioner of fencing for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Jan Romary attended USC from 1946-1949.