By: Pj Kwong

The announcement of Patrick Chan’s induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2024 came as no surprise to me and felt like a long time coming. Patrick will be awarded The Order of Sport, which is Canada’s highest sporting honour, and a National Level Award established by Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Photo Credit: Olympic.ca

You could almost run out of ink in listing the number of titles and accolades that Patrick has earned over time including: Three Olympic medals, three world titles, 10 national titles, two Grand Prix Final titles, three Four Continents titles, several broken world records, and the 2011 Lou Marsh Award as Canada’s top athlete.

Impressive.

I first became aware of Patrick when I was still taller than he – in other words a very long time ago. There was a buzz about this young skater and speaking with Osborne Colson, the coach that Patrick credits with putting him initially on the track to success, you knew that this was a special skater, the kind that, as it turned out, only comes along once in a generation.

What has set Patrick apart from so many others was his effortless ability to glide across the ice with seemingly little effort. As Patrick skated, there was an absence of blade noise, enormous speed and depth of edge that became the gold standard by which all other skaters were evaluated. Layer on top of those skills Patrick’s extraordinary ability to express and interpret music along with great jumps and you had the makings of a champion.

Photo Credit: Olympic.ca

“Winning events does not guarantee anyone the most prestigious of honours, that being, the complete and total respect of your peers,” said Kurt Browning. “Patrick’s legacy is written in the record books for all time, but the stories of what the man and his skating has brought to our sport; humour, fierce competitive drive and that incomprehensible flow across the ice, will be told among the skating community for generations.” As an Olympian and four-time World Champion, Kurt knows a thing or two about what makes a champion.

Although Patrick may not have made it into our collective consciousness until his successes started to pile up, there was a litany of competitions and events at the local level where he started honing those famous skills. Ontario was the place where Patrick got his start.

“At the time I started, I couldn’t have known all the amazing places and events where skating would take me. All I knew was that I loved the sport,” said Patrick. “I am proud of what I was able to accomplish knowing that there is and was always so much talent vying for the same top spot. I am even more proud if my impact on the sport is one that has encouraged others to reach as far as they can.”

Feel free to re-live as many of Patrick Chan’s timeless performances on YouTube – I know I do.

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