Coaches

Peter Drevenka

Peter is in his 12th season as a Head Coach of the Epic Fencing Club. A 2006 graduate of University of Szeged in Hungary, Peter came to Epic Fencing Club from Hungary, where he was the coach of the University of Szeged Fencing Club and also the Szeged Fencing Club. He has been coaching since 2000.

His mentors include: Mr.Zoltan Dudas (head coach of Princeton University), Mr Leslie Palmai (former head coach of the Epic Fencing Club) Mr. Antal Solti (master coach of the Hungarian National Foil Team), Mr. Ferenc Toth (foil captain of the Danish Fencing Federation).

Alex Martin

Alex Martin formerly of the Fencers Club in New York City, is returning to Calgary where he was introduced to fencing at a summer camp. He has always been interested in teaching, so coaching became a natural outlet to combine his passion for teaching and the sport he loves. Alex is coaching National and Olympic Team Members and will continue this at EPIC. Alex has coached NCAA individual champions, cadet and junior World Champion, Junior Olympic champions in men and women’s foil, National and Olympic Team. Alex’s students currently fence for universities such as Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Upenn, Stanford, and Notre Dame.

“As the head coach of Columbia University’s fencing team, I am responsible for recruiting the best student-athletes from all over the world. Alexander Martin has a proven track record of producing athletes that excel in both fencing and academics which has led me to recruit many of his students to our program throughout the years.” Columbia University Fencing Coach Michael Aufritchtig.

Elya Perritt

Formerly (Co-founder) and coach of Gladiators Fencing Club for 20 years. Elya is excited to be returning to EPIC. He began fencing in Edmonton, was 7-time national champion in multiple categories including senior and senior team events. After leaving the sport to complete University, he came back to training relocating to Calgary with Epic Fencing Club in the 2000-2001 season, winning a National Championship in MF with Epic by team and an individual medal to end his competitive career. Coach of Jr and Senior national team members, multiple college athletes in Canada and USA, he is excited to continue teaching all levels of fencing and contributing to a larger, more successful, and diverse fencing community in Calgary.

Eleanor Harvey

Eleanor Harvey is a Canadian foil fencer from Hamilton, Ontario. In her Olympic debut at Rio 2016, Eleanor Harvey defeated the world’s number one ranked fencer to advance to the quarterfinals of the women’s individual foil event. With her seventh-place finish, Harvey achieved Canada’s best-ever Olympic result in an individual fencing event. That came one year after she helped Canada win team foil gold at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto. Harvey went on to compete in individual foil at the next Pan Am Games in 2019 in Lima, winning a bronze medal. She would also win medals in two team events – silver in team foil and bronze in team sabre. She is also a former world junior silver medallist in the women’s individual foil event

Alanna Goldie

Alanna Goldie made history at the 2010 Canadian Championships when she became the first woman to win national titles in the Cadet, Junior and Senior divisions in the same year. She went on to compete at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games where she just missed the podium in the individual foil but won a bronze medal in the mixed team event. Also in 2010, Goldie achieved a career-high placement of 10th at the FIE World Junior Championships, a result she would match in 2012.In 2011 Goldie competed at her first major senior international events, including the Pan American Games in Guadalajara where she helped the women’s foil team win silver. Canada has won silver in women’s team foil at each Pan American Championship since. Goldie won individual Pan Am bronze in 2012, 2013 and 2016. At the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games, Goldie won individual bronze in foil and helped Canada to gold in the team event. Goldie ended the 2018-19 season with a career-high year-end senior ranking of 30th. Goldie is a NCAA bronze medalist in 2014-15-16 and a silver medalist in 2017

Kelleigh Ryan

Kelleigh’s journey to the Olympic Games is a tale of dogged determination and full-on devotion to a sport that dominates all aspects of her life. Kelleigh “The Rock” Ryan first earned her place on the Canadian women’s fencing team in 2008, she’s been there at every single championship competition for Canada – a run of 12 straight years. Kelleigh has won the most Pan Am Championship medals of any fencer in Canadian history. Kelleigh will continue to train at EPIC and will be a fantastic addition to our Coaching team

Fencer Assistants 2021 / 2022

• Carolina Gerez (University Location)
• Arden Luong (University)
• Xander Watt (Main Location)
• Alex Lochhead (Main Location)

Referees in-training

• Richard Bezemer
• Arden Luong
• Xander Watt
• Alex Lochhead
• Gresa Jasari
• Carolina Gerez

P-level Referee

• John St.George (Foil)