As President of Skate Canada and an ISU Official, Karen Butcher has seen a lot of skating.

From grass roots to Olympic performances, Karen’s tenure as a skating official has taken her to many corners of the skating world. Yet, as a child, her initiation into the sport was totally ordinary.

Karen Butcher. Photo Credit: Nepean Sports Hall of Fame

Like many other families, Karen’s parents enrolled their two daughters in skating to learn to skate. As Karen advanced, her memories are of her parents deciding to switch her from one coach to another.

“It’s so interesting,” says Karen. “My early experience taught me how important it is to find a good coach … someone who really knows what they’re doing, someone the skater can have fun with and who they enjoy taking lessons from.”

Karen recalls other advantages to learning to skate too. “I was very shy growing up,” she admits, “but I remember days when my school class would go skating. Of course the boys would try to steal all the mitts and hats … but I was popular with the girls because I was the one able to retrieve everything!”

Skating skills also came in handy for scavenger hunts on the Rideau Canal when Karen was a real asset for her team of occasional skaters. “It was cold … and the canal was LONG,” laughs Karen. “The boys always thought winning would be a piece of cake, forgetting the fact that some girls can skate too.”

Karen progressed through skating, passing all levels of figure, free skating and dance tests, and competing in singles at the Senior level. “But in addition to skating, my parents always encouraged us to volunteer. My Dad even volunteered as Club President and also learned to judge!”

Karen Butcher. Photo Credit: Skate Canada on LinkedIn.

Initially, Karen and other young club skaters began volunteering to coach the learn-to-skate programs, and eventually she started judging too. “Dad made us do something that we actually ended up liking.”

“I attended seminars, trial judged and wrote exams” Karen remembers. And by the time she was 15, she was officially judging. “I was still skating … so what I really liked was the fact that on test day the kids knew me. They weren’t afraid of me. There’s such a difference when people are approachable. Ultimately I think it helped the skaters perform better.”

Volunteering became a huge part of Karen’s life … and in the lives of so many skating families in the Ottawa area. “Whether it was helping at Skate Canada International, Canadians or the World Championships, parents and skaters from the local clubs … Nepean, Gloucester, and Minto … were very involved,” Karen thinks back. “They formed the Organizing Committees and basically ran the events.”

To further Karen’s expertise, volunteering as the technical representative at competitions also taught her organizational skills and how to deal with unexpected issues. “You learn quickly when you have to deal with a four hour power failure in the middle of an event. No event goes 100% according to plan and it takes a lot of cooperation and problem-solving to make sure everything works out for the athletes as seamlessly as possible.”

Karen Butcher. Photo Credit: Kevin Rex on X.

As her judging opportunities expanded, monitoring skaters’ training and performances became a joy for Karen. “It’s always fun to say something a coach has said over and over again and have it click for a skater and they accomplish something for the first time, like landing a jump,” says Karen. “It doesn’t matter what level of skater or the difficulty of the element, firsts are always fun.”

Karen continues to enjoy explaining judging to skaters so they understand the sport better and can use the knowledge to improve or simply enjoy skating more. “There have been many moments of watching and talking with skaters along their journey that hopefully played a minor role in whatever fun and success they achieved.”

Along the way, Karen also encourages skaters to try officiating. “It’s a great way to learn more about your own skating because you begin to understand what the officials are looking for, an even greater asset if you eventually become a coach.” And like Karen’s judging career, “It’s wonderful to continue in the sport after retirement from competition.”

Of course, judging at the Olympic Games and at Worlds are outstanding career experiences for Karen. Those types of assignments are the culmination of years of hard work, practicing, writing exams, attending seminars, keeping up-to-date, travelling … “And freezing in cold rinks to be prepared,” Karen adds with a laugh.

Karen Butcher. Photo Credit: Karen Butcher on X.

“Worlds and the Olympics are the ultimate test of our skills,” admits Karen. “Canadian Officials all started as skaters and we all definitely have a competitive spirit … every time we officiate we strive to do our best.”

Karen’s philosophy is inspiring.

“Officiating is a wonderful way to see the world. Not only is it a way to give back to the sport by using your expertise, it’s an opportunity to combine your love of skating with your curiosity about the world outside Canada.”

She sums it up with a smile.

“It also gets you the best seat in the house without having to buy a ticket.”