Fresh off competing at the Olympic Games, Canadian Pair Champion Lia Pereira (with partner Trennt Michaud) is already looking back at what she learned from the incredible experience.

“It was very BIG … and entertaining,” says Lia smiling.

Managing her expectations was a large part of her preparation. “I had two great sources who helped.”

Her long-time friend and fellow team member Madeline Schizas had competed in Beijing and although that was a Covid Games, there was still great info to collect. Another source was through one of her coaches, Mike Marinaro, who also shared with her elements about his earlier Olympic adventure.

All that background gave Lia a starting point but she was still very aware that the organization around Milano was going to create some unique Olympic experiences for everyone on this year’s team.

“With five different venues depending on your sport, nobody really knew how to navigate that or what it was going to look like.” Even with all the pre-event ‘rumblings’, it afforded Lia the opportunity to come to the Games with a different perspective, mixing old experiences with new possibilities.

“It was kind of refreshing to go to the Games with no expectations,” she admits, “just experiencing the moment for what it was. And also … in all that newness, we were competing in the team event which we’d never done before.”

The pair was originally slated to compete only in the freeskate portion of the team event provided Canada qualified but when circumstances changed, they were called up to skate the short program as well.

“It felt good to get both programs out on Olympic ice,” says Lia. But there was one unexpected and interesting off-ice situation which also caught her attention.

“I didn’t realize how much strategy exists in the team event. You hear other people talking and other teammates discussing where the points end up. It was very cool!”

With only a week between the team event and the individual competition, the pair knew they needed a strong plan for training and recovery.

“We had such a great team of coaches plus our strength and conditioning coach was messaging us constantly and had prepared a baseline of workout and recovery for us. And we had a physio on-site who was tremendously helpful too.”

Lia is fully aware of how important those contributions were to the pair’s success. “As much as it seems like it’s just Trennt and me out on the ice, there are a lot of people backing and supporting us and helping us make the right decisions at the right time.”

One of those decisions involved how to best manage the short turn-around between the Team and the Pairs events … part of a recovery plan with a dedicated two days off, days which had nothing to do with skating.

“I was lucky to have my family there in Milan,” offers Lia, “so I joined them for a day trip outside of the city which allowed me to decompress and get away from the competitive atmosphere. It felt beautifully normal.”

Family is very important to Lia.

She’s the eldest of 3 children, a younger sister Jayme and brother Matthew filling out the Pereira ranks, a close-knit family from Milton who loves sports of all kinds. “My parents, Tracy and Stephen, spend a lot of time chauffeuring us between locations … my sister played rep softball and my brother is into rep hockey.”

As a child, Lia remembers playing lots of sports until she finally found skating. “I was a late bloomer,” she admits. “I was 8 years old when the Milton club coach picked me out of a CanSkate group and asked if I’d like to figure skate.” Game for the adventure, Lia thought, “OK, why not?”

That coach was Nancy Lemaire who recognized Lia’s toughness and talent … and on that one day, set the stage for the development of an Olympian.

Ironically for Lia’s parents, it was, “Oh boy, here we go!” They weren’t convinced and pointed out to Nancy that they didn’t feel Lia was that good. Nancy’s firm response? “She will be!”

As Lia progressed, it was initially in singles skating where she shone. She loved skating, particularly jumping, but it was the community spirit in Milton which inspired her the most.

“Milton might be a small town but we were all very supportive of one another. Everyone would go to competitions … and it wasn’t like once you were done, you’d go home … you’d stay and watch everyone else and cheer them along.”

Recalling some of those memories, Lia feels like the Milton community became a second family. “Watching everyone else was almost more exciting than competing myself.”

Lia’s singles career took her up the competitive ladder to Senior Nationals and Junior Worlds … but there was a new opportunity waiting in the wings. Although she had some previous pair experience competing at Novice Canadians, the partnership dissolved after a year … and pair possibilities left her mind … until Nancy approached her about trying out with Trennt Michaud.

“Why me … when he can have his choice of great pair girls?”

To discuss the possibility, Lia, Trennt, Nancy and Trennt’s coach Allison Purkiss met at the local Starbucks.

Lia knew Trennt already had an established and successful career with his former partner … so she hesitated at first. “And then I thought, OK, it might be kind of fun. I can try it for a week.”

Four years later, the pair are Canadian Champions, Olympians and medal contenders for the upcoming World Figure Skating Championships.

Lia feels it’s crazy to be coming to the end of the competitive year. “The season has felt very long … it’s had real highs and lows … but Olympics gave us a lot of confidence, plus we have the training to back it up.”

Next stop … Prague … and Lia is ready. “I’m just kind of finding it all,” she pauses, “a little bit sweet.”

For coach Nancy, it was the year when she could finally say to Lia’s parents, “See … I told you so!”