CALEB NICKERSON
SHAWVILLE Feb. 26, 2020
Despite the horrific weather on Wednesday, nearly 50 skaters turned out at the Shawville Arena for a day-long clinic with legendary performer and Olympic medalist, Elvis Stojko as well as his wife Gladys Orozco.
The event was . . .
organized by the Shawville Figure Skating Club, but was attended by members of clubs as far as Aylmer and Arnprior. Club Vice-President Melanie Walls said the process of bringing the top-tier teachers to the Shawville rink was months in the making.
“It started when we went [to Renfrew] and saw Kurt Browning last year,” she said. “We thought, what a great experience for the kids … why don’t we try to do that?”
After confirming with the other club’s committee, Walls said she and fellow organizer Ronda Richardson moved forward with planning all the activities for the day, to maximize their short time with Stojko and Orozco. She added that they also included off-ice training in the Lions hall with the Corriveau School of Dance.
“We estimated we wanted about 50 kids, but we kept the class low because we wanted everyone to be able to participate,” she said, noting that around half came from the Shawville club. “We ended up with 47 participants and three coaches we have on the ice.”
Walls said several local service clubs, citizens and businesses made both monetary and material contributions that helped keep the cost of entry low.
“We’re very grateful, because our day is just that much smoother knowing that we had most of our costs covered,” she said.
Stojko, in a media scrum during his brief lunch break, said that he’s been teaching in clinics since his teens and enjoys spreading his passion and knowledge for the sport.
