Ioana Ilieva, Sofia

A true knight in armour, Ioana shines with her fencing skills. By the age of 17 she had already won the World Cup three times, by 18 she had won the European Cup two years in a row. But her greatest achievement is the bronze at the World Championship for girls up to 20, the first such award for Bulgaria since the era of the Etropolski brothers.

She started training at the age of 8 under the influence of her grandfather. She competes in the national team and trains in the fencing academy “Vasil Etropolski” with personal coach Ivaylo Vodenov. She has reached the international elite at the age of only 22, entering the top 20 in the world. Her next goal? Participation in the Olympic Games.