Jessica Lui is set to do what no member of the Kingston Skating Club has done before: compete at the Canadian figure skating championships.
“I’m super excited to compete at the national level,” said Lui, a Grade 9 student at Kingston Collegiate Vocational Institute.
Lui is the first member of the club, formed in 2008, to qualify for the national event, to be held Jan. 13 to 19 at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga.
The talented 14-year-old started skating at the age of three at Springer Market Square in downtown Kingston and took to the sport immediately.
Last August, Lui finished first in her novice women’s flight at the Wild Rose Invitational, a Skate Canada national summer series event held in Leduc, Alta., just south of Edmonton.
“That win gave me a lot of confidence as I prepare for the nationals,” Lui said.
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“I train six days a week in Kingston and Ottawa with coaches Nancy Brennan and Darlene Joseph and feel I’m ready to compete at the highest level. I’m showing off two new elements in Mississauga. In my program, I’ve added a triple-triple combo and a triple-loop.”
This is Lui’s first year in the novice division and Brennan, her coach in Kingston, says her talented pupil is ready for the big show.
“She’s so talented,” said Brennan, who’s been coaching skaters in the Limestone City for more than four decades. “Her work ethic is phenomenal.
“She works extremely hard, every session. She’s just a good person with a lot of talent. In Mississauga, I just want her to skate her best and be happy with her performance. That’s all she can do. If she keeps her focus and skates from the heart, she’ll do just fine.”
Lui hopes to one day represent Canada at the Olympic games but realizes she can’t get ahead of herself. Her focus is on doing well on the national stage.
“My goal is to have two personal best programs,” added the talented youngster.
“I’m going to Mississauga to have some fun and soak up as much experience as possible. It’s one more step towards my ultimate goal.”
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