Accredited Coach by US fencing coach association and Academie d’Armes France in all three weapons (Sabre, Epee and Foil)

Founder & Club Director

Personal trainer and group class instructor

Master of Rehabilitation Counselling from the University of Sydney

Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and Finance

Cert III &IV in Fitness

​

​

​

Angie Zhao founded Hills Athletic Fencing Club in 2015. Her responsibilities at HAFC include management of fencing programs and coaching staff, business administration and marketing.  She is a former board of directors of NSW Fencing Association. Under her vision and management, HAFC successfully achieved the NSW No.1 ranking club award within two years.

Angie continued her training on her own by attending oversea coach camps. She has completed her coach training at Duke University and the US and French Fencing Coach academy and gained her accredit coach title. She has taken lessons and trained under some of the best Olympic coaches internationally. This diversity has given her a wide range of ideas, techniques, and tactics to meet every student where they are and give them the best chance to succeed.

Angie has years of successful business experience within the kids' sports coaching industry. She is currently the franchise owner of an award-winning multi-sport program Ready Steady Go Kids and has gained experience in training children of all ages. Angie has a degree in Commerce and Certificate III&IV in fitness, She is also undertaking Master degree of Rehabilitation Counselling from Sydney University.

Angelo Sanagelo

Level 3 Coach 

Angelo is a professional in his field with a lifetime membership to the N.S.W Fencing Squad and has a national accreditation of a Level 3 coach in all three weapons (the highest and most difficult to achieve).

Coach Angelo Santangelo has come highly recommended by influential people in the world of fencing, with a great resume that shows extraordinary skill and knowledge.

Angelo has 40 years of fencing coaching experience. During his career as a fencing coach, Angelo has completed several fencing studies over a period of three years. During and after his studies, he has continued to teach fencing in Australia.

Angelo’s student Robert Jordon has won more than 12 State and National Championship medals and also represented Australia twice at Olympic games (1992 Para). Additionally, many of his other students have won state and national titles, such as Mattew Dallas who won Australian U23 cadet champion, Mark Morries Commonwealth Bronze Medal and U23 champion, Emily Yee U23 Champion.

Chris Xu

Epee Master

Olympian Coach

Chinese national team professional epee athlete

Bachelor of Sports coaching

Diploma of Sports Rehabilitation

Chris was the former Chinese national fencing team member, a professional epee athlete. She has extensive competition experience at national and international competitions. Her results include multiple Chinese national championships; 2nd place at Asian fencing games. She was the national fencing coach of the Chinese fencing team. In 2008 Beijing Olympics game, she was appointed to the head coach for the Chinese fencing team. She had coached many state and national fencing athletes. Her student's recent results include NSW U14 epee Gold medal and bronze medal.

Yoongi Shim

Sabre Master

Professional Sabre Coach

South Korea national team sabre athlete

​

Shim is an elite fencer from South Korea -  The No.1 country in Sabre fencing. He has 15 years of fencing experience. When he was 13, he got a fencing scholarship and join the Korean national fencing course. He trained with Korean National Head Coach Lee Hyokun when he was at university. He was a national team member.

Shim is passionate about teaching fencing lessons and he is result-driven. He focuses on the individual student's need with a customised coaching approach. He has extensive experience in working with different groups including young kids, adolescent fencers, and elite fencers. Shim is a very down to earth and approachable person.

​

His personal competition results include:

 2008 U15 Korean National Competition individual, team - Gold

2011 U18 Korean National Competition individual – Silver

2012 Korea-USA Elite International Competition individual - Bronze 2018 Australian Fencing Championship in Sydney individual – Silver

2019 Singapore International Fencing Competition individual - Gold

Have received Gold medals in all the NSW State Open competitions attended since 2018

Other qualifications related to sports coach First aid/CPR Working With Children’s Check

Fencing Coach from USFCA

Coordinator of the kids program

Accredited Sport Coach

Ly is a fun, passionate, caring and down to earth coach. His extensive experience in coaching young kids of all ages and skill has helped grow the sport and participation. With a patient and positive attitude, Ly is very engaging and interpersonal, leading to strong coach-student bonds with his students. A great communicator and motivator, he strives to bring out the best in all of his students, whether it’s from a technical, tactical or mental perspective.

As a long time member of HAFC since 2016, he is one of our most talented instructors. Ly is available for group and private instruction.