Sale returns to rink for Skate Canada
Jamie Sale gets high marks for a smooth transition to life after figure skating.
The former Olympic pairs champion retired from the pro circuit five years ago to focus on another full-time job — “being a mom” to her 10-year-old son Jesse and fouryear-old daughter Samantha.
“I have a very busy life, so when I hung (up) my skates, I literally have not been involved in skating at all,” Sale said. “My family thinks it’s interesting because you did it your whole life. I just kind of felt like I enjoyed being a mom so much that I was OK not being in skating.”
Sale and former partner David Pelletier will be in Regina to serve as ambassadors for Skate Canada International, running Thursday to Sunday at the Brandt Centre.
The celebrated pair won a world title in 2001 in Vancouver and Olympic gold in Salt Lake City in 2002 following an infamous judging scandal. They were inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009.
They married in 2005 and skated together professionally until they retired in 2012 — about two years after an amicable divorce.
“We had Jesse while we were pro and he toured with us for a few years,” she said. “Once he hit kindergarten, that’s when I decided to really pull back ... I had a great professional career and I’m happy. It was just a nice transition.”
Sale and Pelletier got their start as a pair in 1998, finishing third at Skate Canada International. They won the event in 2000 and 2001.
“It’s so nice to be able to come back and be part of a special event that I loved very much as a competitor,” she said. “This is a really special year. It’s an Olympic year, so you’re going to see Olympic programs and the audiences love that.”
Sale hasn’t really missed skating since her retirement. However, there are things she appreciates more in retrospect — like the support of fans and applause from the crowd.
“You don’t get that with kids,” she said with a laugh.