Cindy Gao

It took Cindy Gao eight years to earn the bragging rights to become Canada’s top female fencing champ.

The 18-year-old who calls Toronto home finished in third-place at the 2017 Junior Pan American Championship in Havana, Cuba and won the senior National Championship title that same year. Gao was named the National Fencing Athlete of the year twice - during the 2016-2017 and 2015 -2016 seasons. 

At the age of 16 in the previous year (check age), Gao won the 2016 Junior Pan American Championship title in Cancun, Mexico for the under 20-year-old women. Gao did double duty during that event where she also competed in the Cadet Pan American Championship for the under 17-year-old girls category and placed second. She also won the North American Cup in 2016 and finished sixth at the Cadet World Championships that same year.