Our Coaches and Instructors

Jackie Fountain

Jackie teaches the beginner classes on Wednesday nights with Paul, and is a certified community instructor with the OFA. Jackie is a competitive foil fencer, who sometimes likes to hit people with sabres as well, and trains with Westdale Fencing Club when not coaching at Excelsior. Jackie is also a regional referee, and plays at being a mad scientist in her spare time. Jackie’s primary weapon is foil.

Robyn Godfrey

Robyn Godfrey got interested in fencing when her karate class was cancelled and fencing was the only other sport that would fit into her study schedule at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After graduating and a year's travel she found herself in Iqaluit, where she and a colleague began the Nunavut Fencing Association, still in its infancy when work took her to Stratford, Ontario. Throwing herself fully into the orbit of the Stratford Festival, she studied some stage combat and fenced in the odd midnight duel until she discovered Excelsior Fencing Club. Finally surrounded by good fencers with excellent work ethics and coaching, in 2010 Robyn began competing, and coaching after obtaining her Community Instructor Certificate. Now studying foil under Ranil Sonnadara, she competes when her day-job allows, is on an aide-moniteur track for coaching, is working to become a referee, and is keeping up with the youngsters to the best of her ability.
 
When not fencing, Robyn can be found selecting, collecting, organizing, retrieving and disseminating information at the Stratford Public Library, or writing reviews and articles on theatre.

Jon Holtz

Jon Holtz is a Materials and Process Engineer working at ComDev in Cambridge, ON. He started fencing in high school and continued with the sport into university where he was on the varsity team for 4 years and weapon captain. When he was finished with school, his travels led him to our K-W location. Jon is certified as an Aide-Moniteur coach in Foil and Sabre. Jon primarily helps with coaching and program development, but can also be persuaded to give private lessons, do high-school demonstrations, referee at tournaments, assist with referee development, and generally fill in the gaps when necessary. Jon's primary weapon is his wit, but he's also known to be pretty handy with a sabre when the fancy takes him.

Dr. Darren Marks

Darren Marks initially trained under French Maestro Francois Rodeur at Toronto's Salle Rodeur Fencing Club and was a nationally ranked junior foillist in the early 1980s. Having chosen hockey over fencing on being drafted, he went on to play in Canada's junior programs and in Europe while pursuing an academic career. Among the athletic awards earned includes an University of Oxford Full Blue. With his son wanting to fence, his old passion for fencing rekindled and began training, competing and coaching under the eye of Ranil Sonnadara. He founded the Stratford location of Excelsior in 2009 and sits on the Board of Directors for the Ontario Fencing Association. Dr. Marks continues to compete as a foillist nationally and internationally when able, referees when asked politely and is trying to soak in as much knowledge about the sport as possible while completing his NCCP certifications. Dr. Marks coaches the competitive team at our Stratford location and locks the door on leaving. When not in the fencing club or piste, he can be found as a Professor at the University of Western Ontario.

Dr. Marks' primary weapon is foil.

Paul Shull

Paul teaches the beginners classes on Wednesday nights. He is a certified community instructor with the OFA.  Paul has a love for all historical aspects of the sport, and when not coaching can usually be found turning music up, or yelling on the piste. Paul’s primary weapon is foil.

Ranil Sonnadara

 Ranil has been coaching for over 20 years, and has led several fencers to national and international success on both sides of the Atlantic. Trained and certified in Europe as a master coach in all weapons, Ranil is also registered as a Coach, Referee, Learning Facilitator, Master Evaluator and Master Course Conductor with the Coaching Association of Canada (NCCP), the Canadian Fencing Federation and the Ontario Fencing Association, and holds Charter Member status with the Coaches of Canada. For more information about Ranil, please see his personal website, or check out his other club.

Laura-Lee Spaetzel

Laura-Lee is working as a Certified Kineisologist at the Sunnyside Wellness Centre and writes fitness programs for seniors. She started fencing when she went to the University of Western Ontario. She wanted to try something different from the sports she played in high school. She fell in love with the sport and has been fencing for 6 years. She enjoys teaching others to love it as much as she does. Laura-Lee is a certified Community Instructor, and is working towards her aide-moniteur certification. Laura-Lee teaches the mini-fence class, teaches epee classes, gives private lessons and does some physical training of the fencers. LL's primary weapon is epee.

Julian Twardus 

Julian is a political science student at Laurier University. Julian started fencing in 2004 when a friend of his invited him to come and play. He has been joyfully hitting people with swords ever since. He has excellent technique and it shows when he is demonstrating to his classes. Julian is certified as a Community Instructor, and is working towards his aide-moniteur certification. Julian teaches the yellow and orange armband classes, does high-school demonstrations, teaches French mini-fence, gives private lessons and referees at fencing tournaments. Julian's primary weapon is foil.