Our Coaches

Olympic Fencer

Étienne was one of three young boys who enrolled in the very first session of the Gadbois Fencing Club. A multiple Canadian champion, he won several medals at the Pan American Championships, both individually and as part of a team.

Recruited by Giulio Tomassini, the best fencing coach in the world according to the newspaper L'Équipe, Étienne furthered his training in Italy under the tutelage of the world's top champions.

In 2012, he qualified for the London Olympics as the third-best fencer in the Americas, ultimately finishing 21st. He retired from competition in 2016 after tying with Brazil for a second Olympic appearance, this time as part of a team.

Senior Instructor

Mike has indeed been a high-level coach for the Canadian and American national teams. He was the coach of the American women's foil team that won the silver medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

He founded the Golden Gate Fencing Club in San Francisco, which he managed until 2022. Mike also acts as a consultant to fencing clubs all over the world, from Germany to China.

Youth Development

Tristan is a level 1 coach. He has worked in fencing summer camps in Germany and Minnesota, USA and has been part of the Club Gadbois team since 2023.

Under the mentorship of Mike Pederson, Tristan works with young beginners to help them develop basic fencing techniques.

Fencing Master

Maureen Griffin is a well-known figure in the Canadian fencing community. She is a fencing master in both foil and épée and currently serves as the High Performance Coordinator for Fencing Canada.

A former competitive fencer, Maureen Griffin was a member of the national épée team for eight years. After her competitive career, she dedicated herself to coaching, serving as the head épée coach for the Quebec Fencing Federation. She also served as the U.S. women's junior épée national coach from 2008 to 2013.

Maureen's arrival on the coaching staff allows the Club to once again train members in épée.