About the Coach

Leslie attends Coaches College at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs during the summer; trained with European masters in Hungary in 2004, and worked with U.S. Olympic Sabre coach, Ed Korfanty, in 2005.

Leslie Taft began her fencing career at Cal State Los Angeles in 1976, where she competed on the womens' foil and epee teams.

Upon graduation, she continued to compete for the Los Angeles Athletic Club. Leslie moved to the desert in 1984 and began teaching the fencing classes at College of the Desert in 1986. In 1990, the C.O.D. fencing team was formed and is successfully competing in foil, sabre and epee.

Leslie's Fencing Accomplishments

• 1995, Pacific Coast Womens' Sabre Champion.
• 1995, 1998, 1999, California State Games Womens' Sabre Champion.
• 1998, "A" rating in Womens' Sabre, World Cup Competition.
• 1999, 2000, World Cup finalist, Womens' Sabre.
• 2001, North American Cup Womens' Sabre Champion.
• 2002, Long Beach Invitational, Womens' Sabre Champion.
• 2005, 3rd Place, Womens' Sabre, Pacific Coast Championships