Elya Perritt is a highly experienced fencing coach and former national champion with over 20 years of coaching expertise. He is a seven-time Canadian national champion across multiple categories, including senior and team events, and concluded his competitive career with a Men’s Foil team national championship and an individual national medal while training with Epic Fencing Club.

Although Elya’s primary discipline was foil, in which he competed internationally, he also had a successful competitive career in epee, including winning an Alberta Provincial Championship and representing Alberta at the Canada Winter Games. He also coached Kali Sayers in the lead-up to her successful performance at the Youth Olympics in pentathlon.

Elya spent 20 years coaching at Gladiators Fencing Club before returning to Epic, where he has coached junior and senior national team members and guided multiple athletes who went on to compete collegiately in Canada and the United States. He is committed to teaching fencers at all levels and contributing to a larger, more successful, and more diverse fencing community in Calgary.

Kelleigh Ryan is a former Canadian National Team fencer and Olympian with more than 15 years of experience competing at the highest level of international fencing. After earning her place on the national team in 2008, she represented Canada at every major championship throughout her career and reached a career-high world ranking of 9th. She is one of only three athletes in Canadian fencing history to have advanced to the Olympic quarterfinals.

Since retiring from competition, Kelleigh has played a central role in the growth and development of Epic Fencing Club, focusing on coaching and long-term athlete development. Her athletes have earned medals at USA Regional Junior & Cadet Circuits and Canadian National Championships, with athletes ranked inside the top eight nationally in Canada. She has also worked with members of the Puerto Rican National Team and the Canadian Travel Squad.

Kelleigh holds a Master’s degree in Kinesiology and is also a Strength & Conditioning coach and Administrator at Epic. Her coaching philosophy is grounded in hard work, health, adventure, and connection—values that guide how she trains athletes and builds long-term, sustainable performance.

Kali Sayers is an experienced fencing coach, referee, and sport leader with a high-performance background in both fencing and modern pentathlon. She previously represented Canada internationally, including qualifying for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games, where she finished first in fencing and 16th overall, and competing at Junior and Senior Fencing World Cups.

Kali began coaching in 2014 while attending the University of Calgary and has since worked with athletes at multiple clubs across Alberta. She is passionate about helping athletes maximize their potential and values sport as a powerful tool for building confidence, resilience, and long-term personal growth.

In addition to coaching, Kali is an active referee, with officiating experience at the provincial, national, and U.S. levels. She also contributes to the sport through leadership roles on the Canadian Fencing Federation Gender Equality Committee and multiple committees for the Alberta Fencing Association Board.

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.