Waterloo, Ontario played host over the weekend to the Skate Canada Novice Nationals and Skate Canada Cup where skaters from across the country in all five disciplines competed for top honours.

The skaters from Team Ontario did not disappoint.

“Watching the event unfold and seeing the presence and the strength of the skaters from Skate Ontario is just one way that I embrace the #SkateOntarioProud movement,” said Lisa Alexander, Executive Director, Skate Ontario.

With skaters in virtually all categories, it was a testament to their hard work and dedication. In each competition, skaters strive to improve their scores, refine their techniques, and push the boundaries of their abilities. The journey for competitive skaters is marked by success and setbacks, each result serving as a valuable lesson and a catalyst for further improvement.

“Skate Ontario is proud of the athletes and their performances at the Novice National Championships and the Skate Canada Cup. As awesome as medals are, we are focused on the long-term journey of these athletes and their future success in the sport,” said Chris Mabee, Manager Podium Pathways, Skate Ontario. “The performances from this week of competition are pivotal in shaping our future development strategies for these young athletes. The future is bright, and we look forward to supporting the athletes and coaches in achieving their goals next season and beyond.”

While results may provide validation and recognition, as Chris mentioned, the true reward lies in the journey itself — in the moments of growth, resilience, and sheer love for the sport. Take Novice Ice Dancers Rachel Martins and Juel Kowalczyk who finished in 4th place and were .10 of a point from a bronze medal. This is a success story by any definition for a team in their first season together with lots of lessons that will be carried forward to competitions in the future.

“After only 7-months together (and only 7-months of dance, period, for Rachel), the team has improved at a rapid pace. Their daily commitment to hard work and development in training has been a huge factor. What they’ve been able to do in such a short time has been incredible to see, and we know they’re just scratching the surface,” said their coach, Ice Dance Director, Mariposa School of Skating, Mitchell Islam. “Nationals last week was a great experience for the team, and has lit a bigger fire in them as we move into their first full season together.”

There is lots to celebrate from the event on the weekend, and what follows is a list of the Team Ontario medallists:

For the full results, click here.

In the meantime, the hard work continues.

For more on this and other great stories, visit the In The Loop page on the skateontario.org website. As always – send your messages of support using the hashtag #SkateOntarioProud to our athletes, follow Skate Ontario on all our social media.