Daria Jorquera Palmer

Head Coach

Daria has been a member of the Lightning Fencing Club for more than two decades and has been coaching fencing since 2004. A former Canadian National Team épée athlete, she represented Canada internationally for 12 years at World Cups, Grand Prix events, World Championships, Pan American Championships, and the Pan American Games. Her competitive accomplishments include being ranked #1 in Canada in Women’s Épée, winning a silver medal at the 2011 Pan American Games, and earning multiple national and international results throughout her career.

Daria brings more than 20 years of coaching experience to Lightning Fencing Club and is an NCCP Level 3 / Competition Development certified coach, making her the highest-certified club fencing coach in Manitoba. She has coached athletes ranging from beginners learning the sport for the first time to provincial and national-level competitors. She served as a Team Manitoba fencing coach at both the 2013 and 2023 Canada Games and has worked extensively with Manitoba’s Provincial Squad alongside Provincial Coach Maître Ayach Bounacha, supporting athletes at training camps and competitions across Canada and the United States. Daria also coaches Manitoba’s Para Fencing Program, helping to expand opportunities for disabled athletes to participate and develop in the sport.

As Head Coach at Lightning Fencing Club, Daria is passionate about making fencing a sport for everyone. She is committed to teaching and developing fencers of all ages, abilities, and competitive levels, from those picking up a weapon for the first time to experienced competitive athletes. Her coaching philosophy emphasizes not only athlete and technical development, but also creating a strong sense of belonging and community, where every fencer can find their place in the sport, develop meaningful connections, and continue to be involved in fencing throughout their lives.

Anthony Densmore

Foil Adult Class Coach

Anthony started fencing at Lightning Fencing Club in 1999, and has been coaching since 2013. He fences foil and epee. As a coach, Anthony focuses on building plasticity. He breaks the actions down into a few basic movements, and teaches those movements independently of each other. Once mastered, he teaches the fencers to combine those movements in different combinations to create a large variety of actions. When he’s not fencing, Anthony spends his time with his wife and two children, training for triathlons (he completed an Ironman in 2018), and working as a professional engineer.

Lucas Hamlin

Sabre Senior Coach

Lucas started his fencing journey at Lightning Fencing Club when he was 13, and is still loving the sport. Lucas holds his NCCP Level 1 coaching certification in sabre and is trained in CPR and First Aid. Lucas competed on the provincial fencing team for a few years. While competing he was doing so alongside some of the other great coaches at LFC. Lucas is an insurance broker and tries to spend as much time as he can outside when not working. Lucas believes that Lightning takes pride in trying to provide a fun but constructive environment for our athletes to thrive and believes everyone should give fencing a try!

Noah Merz Lakser

Foil Senior Coach

Noah has been coaching at Lightning for over 5 years and as an assistant provincial coach of Team Manitoba for the past couple years. Noah holds his NCCP Level 1 coaching certification in foil and is trained in CPR and First Aid. He also has also competed on the provincial team for over 10 years and has travelled to multiple national and international tournaments. In addition, he is a Nationally-certified referee and serves as the Vice President – Technical for the Manitoba Fencing Association, where he is responsible for overseeing provincial competitions in Manitoba. He holds an Instructor-Beginner certification with the Canadian Fencing Federation. When not fencing, he is studying at the University of Winnipeg, where he is pursuing an honours degree in psychology.

Liam Prokopowich

Foil Senior Coach

Liam Prokopowich has been involved in fencing for over 15 years, beginning his journey as a recreational athlete at Lightning Fencing Club before competing nationally and internationally with the Manitoba provincial team. For the past seven years, Liam has shared his passion for the sport as a dedicated coach, leading both beginner and advanced athletes in the club’s foil program. He also plays a key role in the broader fencing community as the Directoire Technique (DT) for provincial tournaments with the Manitoba Fencing Association. Liam holds his NCCP Level 1 coaching certification in foil and is trained in CPR and First Aid. Currently pursuing a degree in Environmental Sciences, Liam is an avid outdoor enthusiast and is proud to contribute to the growth and spirit of the Lightning Fencing Club.

Matias Enciso

Epee Junior Coach

Matias has been fencing for 12 years, and started coaching one year ago. He has been part of the Manitoba Provincial Team for 7 years and has competed nationally, including winning a bronze medal at the 2023 Canada Games. He has a passion for fencing and loves coaching. Matias coaches beginner fencers and enjoys seeing how fencing continues to grow in Manitoba. Outside of fencing, Matias is studying at the University of Manitoba.