Figure skating Olympians coming to Sussex

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Two of Canada’s most recognized and celebrated figure skaters will be in Sussex next month, helping young skaters with their skills and providing tips and training on everything from jumps to landings to spins.

Kurt Browning and Elvis Stojko are part of the Sussex Skating Club’s March 2 clinic where the two Olympians will not only meet with skaters but spend time on the ice with them to help them in the sport. The clinic, which has already filled its registration goal, will feature 120 skaters from across the province. There’s already a waiting list of 45 others hoping to have the opportunity to skate with the pair.

It’s not the first time Stojko – a two-time silver medalist at the Winter Olympics for Canada – has appaeared at a clinic with the skating club. Club president Brittany Gahan explained a clinic in 2020 with Stojko proved very popular.

“People really loved it,” she said.

The success of that clinic prompted Gahan and the club to want to repeat its success, but with this clinic featuring both Stojko and Browning, who represented Canada at three Winter Olympics in 1988, 1992 and 1994.

“It’s an opportunity for people in this area to be able to participate,” Gahan said. “It’s more, purely, for that opportunity for the kids to be able to do this. I don’t know if there’s ever been a clinic that’s had Kurt and Elvis together, especially here. We really wanted to give this opportunity to New Brunswick youth.”

Gahan explained skaters will first meet with a physiotherapist to discuss breathing techniques and stretching. Then, following a yoga session and a nutritious snack, the skaters will hit the ice at The 8th Hussars Sports Centre for sessions with Stojko and Browning.

“The groups get to skate with them individually,” she said noting Stojko will go first with Browning having the second session. “That’s because they are different people and they do things differently. They each probably have different skills they are good at and can teach the kids that way.”

Gahan said having both skaters at the clinic is exciting not just for the skaters but for the community as a whole. Members of the community are welcome to watch the skaters – for a $5 admission fee – as they train and assist the youth.

The skating club received some financial assistance in being able to bring both Stojko and Browning to Sussex as the Sussex Area Community Foundation provided the club with a grant.

“We hold a pool of donations on behalf of the community. We invest that pool of donations and then we provide a certain percentage back, the interest, ideally, on a yearly basis in the form of community grants and scholarships,” explained Miriam Verschoor, executive director of the foundation.

The skating club, she explained, applied for one of the grants and the foundation agreed to assist, albeit in a bit of a different format.

“They had applied for a grant last fall and we did something a little bit different with them where we were assisting them with a good percentage of the costs,” Verschoor said. “We asked them to fundraise and once they matched that amount they let us know and we provided the grant.”

Supporting the clinic, she said, was an easy choice considering its benefits.

“They had a good application and we knew the club was working hard and this is going to be a big fundraiser for them, as well as helping the local athletes.”