By: Valya Roberts

Quinn Startek is a Skate Ontario rising star coming out of the Hamilton Skating Club. At just 13 years old, Quinn has already mastered most of the difficult triples in figure skating and more recently landed on the podium at the 2025 IceChallenge in Graz, Austria in Junior Women. She represented Canada for the first time and earned a bronze medal.

In 2023 Quinn’s coach at the time, Christy Baltzar from the Hamilton club, told me to ‘watch out for this one’. Christy coached Quinn at 2 years old and eventually supported her transition to coach Jen Jackson as she got older. From the time Quinn was 6 years old, Jen, Bryce Davison and Christy worked together as a team on her development. Although Jen and Bryce are her main coaches, Club President (and Quinn’s mother) Mariessa Startek told Skate Ontario, “We have a team coaching approach at HSC that contributes to the success of our skaters. It takes a village, and coaches Christy and Chris Stokes are an integral part of Quinn’s team and support Jen, Bryce, and Quinn.”

This past year has been a development year for Quinn, with the ultimate goal of being well prepared and well trained. Coaches Jen and Bryce have always instilled in her that the goal is not about medals, but about using the report card as feedback to improve her skating. They have taught her that the only thing in her control is what she puts out there on practice and in competition, according to mom Mariessa, “her biggest competition is always herself.”

Quinn told me about being named to Team Canada and her first international experience and what it was like to represent her country. “When I got my first Team Canada jacket, I was so excited and so proud I had accomplished this goal”. Not only did Quinn earn her Skate Canada team jacket this season, she was also invited to her first international competition as a Junior. When asked about competing in Junior at such a prestigious event, Quinn shared that she was really pleased that she put out two good skates and was ‘shocked then excited’ to realize it meant she would finish on the podium. “I didn’t go into the skate thinking anything about medaling, I just focused on having a good skate.”

Quinn sets goals for herself to help her stay focused on her tasks, and one such goal was her mentality. Quinn approaches each skate with confidence and one element at a time. She thinks this is what has made a difference this season with her skating.

When asked why she loves to skate, Quinn explained that when she was younger, she skated because her mom brought her to the rink, but then she realized how much she enjoyed performing and showing everyone what she could do. Accomplishing goals has obviously been a major motivator for Quinn, like receiving her Team Canada jacket and being named to the Team Canada NextGen team. Another perk Quinn shared was her love of travel, so having the opportunity to travel to Europe was exciting.

Quinn shared that she really loves her long program this year to ‘Sweeney Todd’. She likes the music and the choreography that was done by coaches Jen Jackson and Bryce Davison. Coach Jen added, “I always share the music and ideas with the skaters to make sure they like it too.”

For upcoming goals, Quinn would like to keep improving each skate and continue to do more difficult elements. When asked about her favourite elements and whether she prefers to spin or jump, Quinn responded that her favourite element is the Triple Salchow. Quinn also has a favourite skater, Belgium’s Loena Hendrickx, who also loves to jump and perform, just like Quinn!

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Valya Roberts is a SkateOntaReporter, a serial skating fan, an avid traveller, and an Executive Director of a Social Services Agency.