By, Debbi Wilkes

My very first trip to Europe as part of the Canadian team was in 1961. I was 14 … naïve and starry-eyed. We had close to a full team … most of those athletes from Ontario.  

For the very first time, World’s was to be held  in Prague ‘behind the iron curtain’, what I understood to be a major political step at the time and something which I quickly learned carried extra weight for our team. 

I can still feel my first steps on the ground in Prague. It was dull and rainy as we entered the airport, none of us sure what ‘behind the iron curtain’ really meant. Our excitement was mixed with fear and cold anticipation. Plus there was news awaiting which would change the face of the skating world that day. 

Prior to our departure for Europe, we had been competing at the North American Championships in Philadelphia. Following the event, both teams, the US and Canada, had flown together to NYC and then separated to our various airlines, our team to KLM flying through Amsterdam and the US team on Sabena through Brussels. 

In an extra wrinkle, my Mom’s visa was stuck in a downtown New York post office due to it being a holiday weekend in the States. If it couldn’t be couriered in time to the airport, she’d leave later with the Americans and meet me in Prague the next day. At the last minute, her visa arrived just in time for take-off. 

Although our KLM flight left before the Americans on Sabena, their layover in Brussels was shorter which had them arriving in Prague before us. 

The US team never made it.

To my knowledge the cause of that plane crash in Brussels has never been solved. What I do know … everyone on board perished, our friends, our colleagues, members of the media, skating fans and dozens of strangers.  

Of course that kind of news is never easy to deliver … so I can find some compassion for the poor woman who had to share it after we landed in Prague.  

(As an aside, in my 14-year-old eyes, she looked exactly how I thought a “Communist” should look … long, grey coat, grey hair, coke-bottle glasses, sharp features, no make-up, stern expression … and zero personal warmth.)

When I asked her, “Where are the Americans?” Her reply? “They’ve all been killed.” 

I can’t begin to describe my reaction … sickening shock, tears, nausea, terror …  I thought they’d all been lined up in front of a firing squad … were we next?  

Thank you propaganda!!

Then, as we were gradually given more information, we learned the US plane had crashed while attempting to recover from an aborted landing in Brussels. 

As communication pathways opened up and next options were considered, it was decided we would assume the event was going ahead. It took hours before we could leave the airport, finally boarding a bus for the drive downtown to our hotel. Looking out the windows, I was surprised at how grey the city seemed … no cars on the streets and nobody out walking … a strange and unusual lack of activity for a big city. And even stranger … we eventually came upon a huge crowd where thousands of people were demonstrating against something … carrying massive white banners adorned with red roses over black writing, none of which we could interpret. Then to add to our anxiety, the crowd charged at our bus, rocking it and demanding to come on board.  

Somehow we made it safely through, only later to discover the protest was over the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the PM of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I since learned Lumumba was an African Nationalist who played a role in the transformation of the Congo from a colony belonging to Belgium into an independent republic. More nasty political stuff … and another detail in a day that weirdly featured two significant Belgium touch points. 

Other political factors were at play that year too.

Canadian Pair Champions Otto and Maria Jelinek were the most experienced members of our team, had Olympic experience, knew the international skating world well and already had many competitive accomplishments.  

But there was a major problem. Otto and Maria were born in Prague, children of Czech parents. 

Some 10+ years earlier when Communism took over the state, the family had secretly planned their escape from the new oppressive regime, leaving everything behind and managing 5 young children as they fled the country. As a result, returning to Prague for the ’61 World’s could potentially mean Otto and Maria would be trapped there and not allowed to return to Canada.

I was not privy to the negotiations between governments that would keep them safe but all the team members knew it was a big deal. All those accompanying the team … parents, coaches, officials … pretended it was business as usual, a careful masquerade to keep the tension and fear from erupting within the team.

Honestly, despite the best of intentions, everyone was starting to feel a little paranoid. 

My Mom had a close friend in Prague, a Czech national, who had lived in Toronto for many years but had gotten trapped on a return visit to Czechoslovakia. Although they continued to communicate through letters, they were delighted to resume their face-to-face friendship while we were in Prague. 

I remember returning to the hotel one day after practice to find my Mom and her friend burning notes they had written to each other. When I asked what they were doing, my Mom whispered, “Just in case anyone is listening.” It seemed strange to me but became very real once we were back home and the RCMP knocked on our front door. Apparently my Mom had given her friend some money. A no-no. 

Back at the rink, everyone knew the ISU was struggling with a decision whether to continue with the championships. For the team, as the days inched by, our lives began to return to something closer to normal. 

Training was top of the to-do list, sometimes outdoors, sometimes in the venue, but always with an audience that could not have been kinder or more welcoming. Fans would bring little gifts for us, pieces of Czech crystal, hand-size drawings, chocolates, cards and candies, anything to show their appreciation.  

But it soon became obvious that we were training alone. Other international teams were not arriving. 

It was a sad day when we learned the event was cancelled.