Our Staff
Elya Perritt – Head Coach (Foil)
Formerly 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.
Peter Drevenka – Head Coach (Foil & Epee)
Peter is in his 12th season as a head coach of the Epic Fencing Club. A 2006 graduate of the University of Szeged in Hungary, Peter came to Epic from Hungary, where he was the coach of the University of 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 (maser coach of the Hungarian National Foil Team), and Mr. Ferenc Toth (foil captain of the Danish Fencing Federation)
Kelleigh Ryan – Coach (Foil and Strength & Conditioning); Admin
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 15 straight years. Kelleigh has won the most Pan Am Championship medals of any fencer in Canadian history, was ranked as high as 9th internationally, and holds the second highest Olympic result in Canadian history. Kelleigh has a love training and learning. Kelleigh is not only a fencing coach, she also earned a Masters of Kinesiology and is a Strength & Conditioning coach and Administrator at Epic!
Taras Telnykh – Head Coach (Foil & Epee)
Coach Taras Telnykh has over 20 years experience in fencing, including 10 years of international coaching. Assistant National Coach of Team Australia. Multiple medalist of national competitions in Ukraine, China, and Australia. Former member of National Team of Ukraine. Top-10 finisher at Junior World Championships 2010
Kali Sayers – Assistant Coach (Epee)
Kali has represented Canada internationally in both modern pentathlon and fencing, notably qualifying for the 2014 youth Olympics. In modern pentathlon where she finished first in fencing and finished 16th overall She has also competed at both Junior and Senior Fencing World Cups.
Kali began her coaching journey in 2014 while attending the University of Calgary and has continued to coach at a number of clubs in Alberta. Kali enjoys helping individuals get the most out of themselves, and has a deep appreciation for the sense of achievement and confidence building that a sport can provide at all levels.
Kali is a referee who is pursuing her National refereeing certification and has refereed provincially, nationally, and in the USA. She sits on the Canadian Fencing Federation Gender Equality Committee and is a member of the Alberta Fencing Association Board.
Isabella Sabatini – Assistant Coach (Foil)
Isabella Sabatini is a Canadian foil fencer and a nationally ranked referee from Toronto, Ontario. After training at Gladiators Fencing Club during the pandemic with the Senior National Team, she moved to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at the University of Calgary, as well as continue her fencing. Some notable results include: provincial champion in both Ontario & Alberta, many national medals, selection to the Commonwealth team in 2022 with bronze medals in Junior & Senior team events, and selection to the 2022 Junior World Championships team. Isabella is now a member of the EPIC staff who is excited to aid in the creation of skilled fencers.
Michelle Ostrikoff – Assistant Coach (Epee & Foil)
Boris Bojanov – Armourer
The ‘National Armourer’ Boris soon will graduate from the University of Calgary and his journey in the sport of fencing will be more than a decade. Boris joined Gladiators Fencing Club in 2017 and followed coach Elya Perritt to Epic. Boris is a coach for the University of Calgary Fencing club and is ranked 8th in Canadian senior men’s foil.
Jill Purdy – Athletic Therapist
Jill can provide assessment and treatment for injuries to your muscles, bones, and joints. She uses techniques to help myofascial release, soft tissue release, neurological treatment, and many other types of manual therapies. You will be given home exercises or activities to continue your recovery outside of the clinic. She is also a first responder and can provide onsite medical coverage for events. Jill loves to help people with her Athletic Therapy training and show how a treatment will help them. Jill is creative and loves to come up with innovative strategies that enable you to feel better. Jill looks forward to helping you live recover from your injuries and return to the sport you love.
Alex Martin – Coach Consultant
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 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. Alex coached at Epic from 2021-2024. He is now coaching National and Olympic Team Members but continues to act in a consultant role to support our coaches’ continuing development and support Epic fencers in becoming the best they can be.