Head Coach / Director - Darren
Darren Bezzina, born in 1991, is one of the founders and head coach of AES club. He started training at the age of 14 in Karate and practiced martial arts for nearly 14 years, getting a black belt in Shotokan Karate and Tang Soo Do. He has various qualifications and experience with both children and adults, having taught in various schools as a PE teacher for the past six years and worked as a physical trainer for the past ten years. His qualifications include:
- MSc in Strength and Conditioning
- MEd in Physical Education
- Level 1 in Coaching Gymnastics
- BSc in Sports and Exercise Science
- BTEC Level 3- Development, Coaching, and Fitness
- BTEC Level 2- Coaching and Fitness
- Level 1 in Coaching Athletics
- Level 1 in Coaching Weightlifting
- 1st Dan in Tang Soo Do
- 1st Dan in Shotokan Karate
- Evolve 9- Coaching Kids Tennis
- Level 1 in Handball Coaching
- First Aid Course
Head Coach Reuben
Reuben Bonnici, born in 1989, is one of the founders of AES club. He is qualified as a coach at MCAST with a BTEC National Diploma in Sport Development, Coaching, and Fitness. He is also a qualified LSE where he has been working for the past 8 years. He also worked in different schools in various sports programmes including football, basketball, athletics, hockey, and fundamentals using fun games. He loves to organize plenty of activities for children. Having worked as an LSE, he also specializes in helping students integrate and be part of a group and also supporting students with challenging behaviors.
Deanna - Manager / Director
Deanna Camilleri born in 1993 is our administrator and backbone of this club. When she was younger, she used to practice Gymnastics as a hobby and she simply loved it! Throughout the years, although she stopped, she still had a passion for flexibility and stretching classes which she still does today. She is simply in love with fitness and sports. Her role with AES is as an administrator and to make sure that everything is under control for the coaches, students, and parents. With her experience in Office Management and Project Management, she has helped with AES organization. This is a very important role and she does this with great passion.
Head Coach (Team 2) Daniela
After starting gymnastics training at the age of 16 years, Daniela, born in 1989, immediately fell in love with the sport and trained for a further 10 years. She has been a part of the AES Gymnastics coach team for the past 5 years and is also a qualified kindergarten teacher. She strives to teach young gymnasts new skills in a safe environment and most of all, loves to watch her students enjoying themselves.
Head Coach Naomi
Naomi Falzon, born in 1992, has now been coaching gymnastics students with AES for nearly 6 years. As well as specializing in dance routines and gymnastics, her full-time profession is that of a Kindergarten teacher, having also previously worked as a Learning Support Educator for two years. In addition to having an O-Level in Physical Education, she also successfully completed the British Association of Teachers of Dancing (BATD) examinations and have also attended multiple training camps at Pineapple Dance Studio and performing arts in London as part of Dancel Dance Studio – a School of Dance based in Fgura. All these experiences have helped in her coaching career, and she is very much in love with this job!
Head Coach (youngest groups) Marica
Marica Farrugia, born in 1987, has been working with children, for the past 13 years as a sports instructor, child carer, and now as a Kindergarten teacher. Since she was a little girl, she always loved gymnastics and also used to compete in secondary school. She has a National Diploma in Sports Development and fitness. Her love for the sport, the skills and experiences she got from her former jobs helped in her coaching.
Head Coach (Team 2) Kyla
Kyla Marie Caruana Scicluna, born in 2005, has been a student at AES for ample years. She just recently finished her o-levels and is eager to start her new journey as one of the coaches at the gym, as she has never felt more comfortable or at home in a training facility. She has undertaken many disciplines, none of which have ever given her the satisfaction and pleasure gymnastics has. She is a very active person, in fact, during past summers she also took part in another group called “Sajf mal-hbieb”, which also actively helps the church. Here she even choreographed a dance to present at the end of summer. During the year she took constant part in the local church group where she helps aid the younger ones in reaching their goals. This summer she worked as a volunteer twice a week at her old school, St. Joseph Paola, where she also gave a helping hand mostly with 3-5 year-old children. During her time at the school, she was also elected as part of the school council multiple times. At her previous school, St Joseph Blata l-Bajda she was also elected prefect and class-captain.
Coach Jessica
Jessica Dalli, born in 1997, an environmental conscious person during her full time who has recently acquired a passion for gymnastics. Her experience is currently focused on dance, where she has been dancing since she was 3 years old with Rhythm and dance school where she received two best in class awards in 2003 and in 2004. Currently she dances with The YADA College of Dance and has been for the past 8 years. She mostly studies Modern Jazz, and use to also practice Ballet when she was young. This was always her way to express her feelings and gain her optimism and confidence. Her main goal as a coach is to help new gymnasts feel the same passion for this sport as she does while pushing them forward to reach their ultimate goal.
Coach Martina
Martina was born in 2004 and started training gymnastics at the age of 6 and kept training for almost 10 years. Although she no longer trains gymnastics, she still has a strong love for the sport and that’s why she began coaching. She is a qualified level 1 gymnastics coach and have been coaching for the past two years. She is currently in her second year of sixth form and hoping to pursue her studies in sports psychology.
Head Coach (Team 1) Elaine
Elaine Zahra, born in 1984, Mother to a girl. When I was 8 years old I started doing gymnastics till 16 years years old. I competed for 5 years floor routine and I came twice second 🥈. At the age of 16 I started playing waterpolo and football. 12 years ago I started doing gym and boxing passionately.
After all that training I'm still in love with gymnastics. Gymnastics is a fun activity that is the foundation for all sports and physical activity. I also did the Gymnastics Level 1 Course.
Being a coach is a constant challenge 😃
You don’t have to have an Olympic medal to be able to teach others.
Coach Grace-Anne
Grace-Anne Buhagiar was born in 1994. At a young age, she used to practice athletics and football.
Although she stopped, throughout the years she remained active in strength and fitness training.
Grace-Anne is qualified with a degree in Health and Social Care Management and furthered her
studies with a Master’s Degree in Youth Justice. In the past seven years, she worked with persons
having disabilities and currently is working in the elderly sector.
Coach Amy
Amy, born in 2007 has been practising gymnastics for 12 years and still practises gymnastics till this day. Amy has just finished her o-level exams and is more than thrilled to start coaching with the AES gymnastics club. In Summer 2023, Amy volunteered in the games of the small states of Europe in the athletics field. Besides training swimming along with gymnastics, this sport has always been her favourite, always been a big part of her life and has helped her in many ways. Amy is currently studying to become a qualified Physical Education option teacher. Sports in general has always been a big part of Amy's life. Gymnastics has brought ups and downs in Amy's life but despite this she never gave up her love for the sport and wishes to keep on studying and practicing the sport forever.
Coach Celeste
Celeste Galea, born in 2003, is a sport student at MCAST currently studying for a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Sport, Exercise and Health. Fitness and sport have always been a big part of her life as she started training at the age of 8 were she practiced Volleyball for about 5 years. This then led her to start training gymnastics with AES and she loved it ever since. After training with AES for a few years she started coaching younger students as well. Apart from being a qualified person trainer, she also has experience with young children as is currently working as a play worker.
Coach Georgette
Georgette born in 1988 and mother of 2 kids, was always in love with fitness and sports, competing in various school competitions in Netball and Volleyball, however it was after having her first son 12 years ago, that she invested on her fitness on a more regular basis. With a wide range of exercises from strength training and cardio to yoga classes and pilates workouts she enjoys sharing her passion for fitness with others.
Gymnastics is a fundamental sport, which at a very young age helps them learn how to move, balance and increase their strength. Her objective is to help these youngsters reach their fitness goals by making exercise enjoyable for everyone regardless of age or ability level.
She believes in the power of working together and strives to provide an inspiring environment to these youngsters. Her goal is to help them learn, grow, and be empowered by their own abilities who can bring their unique skills, and doing it all while still keeping it fun and interesting!
