Synchronized skating not considered ‘elite,’ club forced to cancel practice

A synchronized skating team may be forced to cancel their trip to two international events because the new Ontario COVID-19 restrictions won’t allow them to practice.

Under the modified Step 2 the province is currently in, all indoor sport and recreational fitness facilities have been forced to close except for athletes training for the Olympics and Paralympics and select professional and elite amateur sports leagues.

Coach of the Gold Ice Synchronized Skating Team in Brampton, Andrea Nesbitt, said they are unable to practice because they are not considered “elite” athletes.

“We have athletes that are training 15 plus hours every week towards a common goal. To be told that they’re not elite is incredibly challenging, and we just want to be given the same opportunities that other athletes and other sports at this level are being given.”

Their junior team is supposed to be representing Canada at two different international events in hopes of qualifying for the World Championship this year. However, Nesbitt said without practice, they won’t be able to get to the level needed to compete.

“We have this amazing opportunity to go and represent Canada abroad, and we’re still able to go do that trip, but without the proper training, we’re not going to be able to simply do that and represent our country as much as we know that we can.”

Raia Parekh is in her last season on the junior team and said not being able to train is very disappointing.

“I spend many, many hours on the ice a week, so that’s just kind of like a big chunk of my time and energy. It’s just kind of gone,” said Parekh. “I’ve always considered what I do to be an elite athlete. I went to a special high school so that I could have extra time to train.”

“We’re a team sport just as much as hockey or any other team would be like hockey and individual skaters, they can keep training, but we’re not allowed to, so it’s disappointing.”

“We just want to be afforded the same opportunities that other youth athletes are being given right now,” added Nesbitt.

When asked what she would tell the provincial government if she had the opportunity, Parekh said she would like them to know how hard they have worked to stay on the ice.

“We’re being super safe about it … People haven’t been seeing family, friends, going to school, so we’re working so hard to make sure that we can be safe in that. We’re doing everything we can to try and stay o,n the ice, but it’s clearly not working,” added Parekh.

Nesbitt became emotional when talking about the impact on the mental health of her athletes.

“It’s incredibly heartbreaking. These skaters that are still training are so committed and so dedicated to doing what they love to just have a doorstop in their faces is incredibly challenging.”

Raia says not being considered elite enough to continue practicing makes her feel as though she is hidden. “[It’s] like they’re trying to hide the fact that this sport exists in my opinion, I mean, maybe I’m kind of biased. It’s one of the coolest sports to exist. So I just feel really, really hidden.”

“It’s such a limited window for these athletes at this age to compete at this level because real life takes over. So it’s very challenging for two years of this to have impacted so many athletes, specifically female athletes this way,” an emotional Raia said, as she described the impact of these restrictions on her future.

University athletics are also among those who will not be able to practice under the new restrictions.

Ontario University Athletics has spoken out against the province with a statement posted on their website and Twitter with the #OUAisElite.

“The notion that the hard-working student-athletes, who have long strived toward the goal of competing at the post-secondary level and proudly representing one of the OUA’s 20 member institutions in the sport they love, aren’t considered elite by the Government of Ontario is a disservice to the dedication, commitment, and talent that they continue to show on a day-to-day basis,” read the statement.