Magazine
After their trip to Finland, these Canadian skaters are ready for new challenges
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Gold Ice on the Marie Lundmark Trophy's Kiss & Cry. (Sari Niksanen - 2022)
They were the only team to cross the Atlantic Ocean to compete last weekend. Gold Ice Junior from Ontario, Canada, also took advantage of the trip to Finland to train a few days before the competition. What did they do? And how did they experience the trip as a team? Interview with the head coach, Andrea Nesbitt.
We are so proud of these athletes and we are feeling incredibly grateful that we were able to have this experience.
What did you think of your team's performances last weekend?
Given our training circumstances, where we were unable to train indoors on full sized ice rinks for 2 weeks prior to leaving, we are very proud of our performances. That being said, we didn't have the performances that we had hoped for and we know that this team is capable of so much more. There were points left on the table and we are excited to continue working hard for the remainder of the season.
Yes we had the chance to skate at the beautiful Espoo Metro Areena for a few days prior to leaving for Turku. It's a gorgeous facility and the staff was so helpful and accommodating! We wish we could have had more time there.
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Back in Canada, how will you be able to continue practicing? What are the current situation and restrictions?
While we were away we got word that our ice rinks in Ontario will be once again opening on January 31st. We will take a short break to rest and are looking forward to getting back on the ice at our home arena as we train hard for the remainder of the season! Our Novice and Intermediate teams have been spending time on outdoor arenas over the past few weeks as well so they are also excited to get back inside!
It was amazing to see so many media outlets pick up this story. Synchronized Skaters are a passionate group! We are very proud of our athletes for standing up and using their voices to affect change. Unfortunately it didn't help our particular case, however we hope that this is only the start in bringing more attention to our sport!
In Ontario, the definition of elite sport includes sports on the "Olympic" or "Youth Olympic" track only. Unfortunately with Synchronized Skating not yet being an Olympic Sport we are not included in this definition.
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We are picking up where we left off and are excited for competitions to resume here in Ontario and Canada. First up we have the Ontario Regional Synchronized Skating Championships which our Novice, Intermediate and Junior teams will be attending in order to qualify for the National Championships.
After that there is the Junior World Championships selection which is being done at a monitoring session with a panel of officials this year. Finally we are so excited to be traveling to Calgary, Alberta for the 2022 Skate Canada National Synchronized Skating Championships at the end of February.
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It's certainly been an unconventional season, however from the very start we made the decision to take things week by week and appreciate every opportunity. Our goals as a team are to focus on what we can control and to put out strong and confident performances. There is nothing better than coming off the ice with a feeling of satisfaction knowing you did all that you can do, and typically that leads to strong results.
For Novice, coming in as reigning national champions is a great honor which we are proud of. They have an exciting program and have their sights set on another podium performance. This season we have a brand new Intermediate team and they are looking forwards to their first national championship.
Our Junior team is incredibly passionate and competitive. They have been working so hard over these past two years with a goal of getting back on the National Podium and they are excited to show Canada what they are capable of.