Debbi Wilkes Impressions of Canadians | Golden Skate

Debbi Wilkes Impressions of Canadians

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Thought this was positive:


Maple Leaf Impressions

TSN.ca Staff


1/13/2004

Were those actually smiles?

On Sunday during the medal ceremonies at Canadians standing backstage testing the pulse of the bystanders, you could feel the same kind of energy as when you were a kid hitting the midway at the annual fair. You sensed you were about to take off on some wonderful adventure but you weren't exactly sure if you should be daring and hop on the bandwagon� or terrified and hop off.

The entire week had been a tremendous success. It was skating like we haven't seen in years from every discipline at every level. People were pumped and so was I.

It was a new kind of feeling but I recognized it standing there backstage. Lots of conversation, jokes, plenty of action, sparkling eyes, grins from ear to ear, and although there's never much sleep to be had at these things, for some wonderful reason, nobody looked tired.

Success does that to you.

In the last decade or so, heading for home after a week of competition at Canadians felt more like leaving a funeral than celebrating a birth. But here we were in Edmonton tuned into an emerging belief that the lean years of skating in Canada might just be a thing of the past.

Oh, sure, there was doubt too. After all, we've been hearing for a long time that the talent pool was there further down the ranks that it just needed time to develop. I guess we can forgive ourselves for being a bit cautious or for questioning whether last week's success was an anomaly. Honestly, it's been a rough haul for competitors and fans alike. But an anomaly? Only time will give us that answer, but even worse case, it was a dynamite week that surpassed our greatest expectations.

Instead of living "down" to the negative hype of the past, now our skaters can allow themselves to spin in the other direction by catching the optimism bug knowing they've proven themselves at a time when few people believed in them.

New names rocketed into the public's eye and talent that in the past only looked good on paper suddenly took control. We witnessed a thick layer of it in all the final flights with every skater believing that winning the gold medal was a victory not a coronation. These athletes skated their hearts out understanding that fighting makes you tougher. Watching favorites fall, they understood the need for humility too because the same thing could happen to them next year or even next week. Self-respect, I think.

Look at Emanuel Sandhu who, as our Researcher Barb Strain observed, came of age this past weekend when he talked about being nervous in the short program. To Barb that meant he'd found respect for his sport, his title and his fellow competitors. When pressed by the media about his inconsistency, he admitted he'd finally discovered the importance of training. Winning the GP Final and his third Canadian title not only seemed to give him permission to be himself, it even celebrated the way he was. Usually a loner, on the podium Emanuel pulled all the men together linking arms as if to recognize them as his peers. And after the presentation he spent a good half-hour signing autographs and posing for pictures with the fans and with the everyday people of Edmonton as if acknowledging their part in the whole equation too.

As Barb said, "He get's it!"

So � where do we stand as a country?

Looking at the constant upheaval on the respective international podiums, many experts say Canada has some of the greatest depth across the greatest number of disciplines in the World for both Junior and Senior. With Quebec taking most of the bows (3 out of 4 Senior Canadian golds this year, 2 out of 4 Junior golds with 8 out of 10 top junior ladies), it seems they've found the formula for success. Quebec seems to "get it" too. The province funds "sports schools" from grade 2 up � where high level athletes can attend school in the morning, train with dedicated coaching teams in the afternoon and spend evenings at home with their families.

Some other training centers outside Quebec offer similar opportunities, e.g. Mariposa in Ontario and BC Center of Excellence but until the model is funded either federally or provincially, results outside Quebec will be hit and miss.

With the 2010 Olympics coming to town, let's get a plan for all Canadian athletes, fund the sport and spend in a manner that leaves a legacy � not just produces a champion.
 

polo player

Spectator
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
Winning the GP Final and his third Canadian title not only seemed to give him permission to be himself, it even celebrated the way he was. Usually a loner, on the podium Emanuel pulled all the men together linking arms as if to recognize them as his peers. And after the presentation he spent a good half-hour signing autographs and posing for pictures with the fans and with the everyday people of Edmonton as if acknowledging their part in the whole equation too.

Thank YOU Ladskater, encouraging to read this about Eman.
:) :) :)
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
polo player:

You are most welcome!! Yes, I think Emanuel finally feels he has "arrived!"
 
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