USA Olympic Fencer Dies: Kamara James Was 29 In What Is So Far A Mystery Death

USA Olympic fencer died at the age of 29 in a death that so far is a mystery.

Kamara James represented the U.S. at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. She did not win a medal, but representing the red, white and blue at 19-years-old.

USA Fencing posted the sad news on its official website and social media pages Tuesday without clarifying on what exactly happened, according to thegrio.com.

James passed away in Modesto, California. She was born in Kingston, Jamaica, before moving to Queens, New York, at the age of 10. She received a full scholarship to Princeton, where she graduated in 2007, according thegrio.com.

USA Fencing President Don Anthony issued this statement on James:

"Kamara James was one of the brightest, precocious, self-assured young people I ever met. From her time as a very young fencer at the Peter Westbrook Foundation to her years at Princeton as an accomplished Olympian she remained warm, caring and confident. Kamara's untimely passing leaves our fencing community very saddened and her spirit, charm and wit will be dearly missed."

In a post on its official Facebook page Sunday, the Jamaican Fencing Federation described Kamara as a "shining star among her peers."

James' first Olympics was the 2004 Athens Games when she was 19. She won bronze at the Junior World Championships in 2003 and was a member of the Senior National Team since 16, according to the report.

According to a post by Eric Rosenberg on Fencing.net, James experienced some mental health challenges, which could have played a role in her death at the young age.

"Unfortunately, mental illness proved Kamara's most unrelenting adversary. Still, just prior to her death, she had resumed a stable drug regimen, was living comfortably and had begun thinking about the future."