Double gold for special olympian

Canmore has a new golden girl.

Special Olympian Meg Ohsada captured double gold at the provincial winter games at the Leduc Rec Centre.

The 16-year-old figure skater, who has Down syndrome, wowed the judges with her artistic abilities in the Level III free skate and Level I solo ice dance.

“Performing is a big part of her life. She’s non-verbal, but she can express her feelings through skating,” Meg’s mother Noriko Ohsada said. “It’s her chance to shine.”

While the free skate is a strength of Meg’s, the solo dance medal came as a surprise to her family, especially since she was skating against competitors almost eight years older.

“I wasn’t sure if she could do it, but the coaching and support of the Canmore Skating Club made her able to do it,” Ohsada said.

Meg has been skating for eight years, training three times a week through the winter. She is a former Level II provincial champion and mastered three jumps – the Waltz jump, sow cow and toe loop – under the tutelage of her coach Betsy Docking.

While other skaters had strong technical programs, Meg’s strength was in her artistc expression, where a graceful routine, set to the music from The Little Mermaid, accentuated her skills.

“Her artistic marks were stronger, and that made the difference,” her mother said.

A well-rounded athlete, she is also a competitive dancer and takes Karate lessons. Her mother said the dance lessons have truly translated onto the ice.

While the medals and results are a wonderful encouragement, Meg has been welcomed by the other skaters with the Canmore Club, something that is meaningful to the her.

“The community and other skaters are accepting her. She’s had tremendous support from her coaches,” Ohsada said.

On top of hours of ice time, she loves to watch YouTube clips of Canadian figure skating champ Joanna Rochette.

She even mimics her favourite skater and delivered a celebratory fist pump after her gold-medal skate, to the surprise of her mother.

“She must have seen it on YouTube – she mimics the movement,” Ohsada said.

Her sisters Sari and Juli are also skaters, and are also members of the local skate club. Ohsada said the girls as well as her husband Kaoru have all been very supportive of Meg.

“Our living room is a dance studio,” she said.

Meg Ohsada now moves onto the Canada Winter Games, and hopes to qualify for nationals.