Coach Elli began fencing at the age of 12, with her parents, Igor and Kriszti, as her coaches. She was recruited to fence épée at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a starter for the women’s épée team all four years. During her senior year, the women’s fencing team won the ACC Fencing Championships against Duke and Notre Dame for the first time in Carolina fencing history.
She started coaching summer camps, then went on to lead pre-competitive and competitive classes after graduating from college. She enjoys working one-on-one with each fencer, watching them grow and achieve success. Her favorite part of coaching is helping fencers reach their goals—and celebrating with them! Giving back to her community and teaching young athletes to become strong, confident individuals is what motivates her to coach fencing.
Coach Elli believes that positive learning experiences help fencers develop the skills they need to become both strong athletes and supportive teammates. She works individually with each fencer to set personal goals, helping them understand that with dedication and resilience, their goals are within reach. Coach Elli values individual success just as much as team success and encourages fencers to support one another as they grow together.