Golden figure skater honoured by Dollard council
Grace Lin, 12, nabbed top spot at the 2013 Skate Canada Challenge in Regina
A local figure skater who won gold at a recent national competition is being honoured by Dollard-desOrmeaux town council.
Grace Lin, 12, was tops at the 2013 Skate Canada Challenge in the girls’ pre-novice category held in Regina last month, capturing gold in a field of 56 competitors.
Grace, a Grade 6 student at Westpark Elementary School, said this was the biggest competition she has entered so far.
“It’s the first competition I had to fly,” she added.
“I couldn’t believe it was happening,” she said of her winning results.
Dollard was set to recognize Grace’s achievement during Tuesday’s council meeting by presenting her with a souvenir vase and a certificate of the proclamation that is being deposited.
Her mother, Wei Tian, said she is very proud of her daughter’s performance.
“She has been working really hard at figure skating,” she added.
Grace, who has been training with the Dollard figure skating club for about five years, said the backing and support of her parents and coaches over the years helped her reach the medal podium.
She first asked her parents about figure skating after seeing an ad promoting the sport and then signed up for the local Canskate program.
“Whenever you’re dancing on the ice, you feel really free,” Grace said of why she enjoys figure skating.
A dream for the young figure skater would be to one day compete in the Olympics — though she said her next step is to decide on one of two high schools she is considering to enter next fall that would best compliment her training. She added she will be moving up a figure skating category and hopes to continue her success competing at this new level.