Figure skater Daisy Li will represent PEI at the upcoming Canada Games in her home province and make history for the island’s Chinese community.
“When she was little, we let her try many different activities like skiing, swimming, gymnastics, dancing, ballet,” said her mother Yun Zhang.
“She made the decision herself when she tried all the sports. She chose to keep skating… She chose this sport.”
In 2016, figure skating in Charlottetown experienced a boom in registrations thanks to families who had recently relocated to the island from China. The Charlottetown Skating Club doubled in size from last year, and about 65 percent of its members were recent immigrants from China, including Daisy.
Her family had moved to PEI in the fall of 2014, and Daisy joined the CanSkate program soon after.
She has spent the last four years training off the island during the summer, three years in Halifax and last summer in Toronto.
Zhang said she and her husband are proud to have 12-year-old Daisy on Team PEI
“We love PEI,” Zhang said. “My daughter’s dream was to represent PEI, so we’re excited to see her dream come true.
“She loves every competition. She enjoys this moment, she can go on the ice and everyone is focused on her. So I think it’s the passion.”
Brenley Bissett will also represent PEI in figure skating for Week 2 of the Games, competing at the new arena at North Rustico.
‘It is wonderful’
Daisy Li told CBC she worked hard to get better at her chosen sport.
“I just think it’s incredible that I’ve made it this far in this sport. And I just love this sport and I’m really excited to represent PEI,” she said.
“I’ve been working for a really long time to get better at this sport and I remember deciding about a year ago to give the Canada Games team a try…
I try to work hard whenever I can so I can improve in any way I can.
— Daisy Li, Team PEI
“I try to work hard whenever I can so I can improve in all possible ways, both on and off the ice.”
Daisy said she hopes she can be a role model for other young skaters whose families have come here from China.
“Sometimes I see the CanSkaters – they’re watching our sessions – and I just want to inspire them so that one day they can work hard and be like me and skate and enjoy skating.”
“I know my mum and dad are really proud and I’m really glad I can make them proud. I want to skate well for them while I’m at the Canada Games.”
“I like her alot”
Deborah Zhao, 10, has known Daisy for several years and was thrilled when she was named to the Canada Games team.
“I find her incredible. I like when she does her performance, I like how she hugs in it,” said Deborah.
“I think it’s amazing because other Chinese skaters might also have positive thoughts about going to the Canada Games.”
Kim Duffy is the assistant figure skating coach for the Canadian Winter Games team this year and is traveling to the games for the seventh time. She is also Daisy’s coach at the Charlottetown Figure Skating Club.
“Daisy is pretty amazing from the start. She’s done a lot over the last year just to get her skating ability up to par and she’s working really hard,” said Duffy.
“I am very proud of their achievements.”
It’s only been three years since Daisy has been with CanSkate, where many skaters start, and that’s not even counting the added challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There are so many skaters out there that it would take at least four or five years for them to start competitive skating, and here we are three years later, so it’s quite an achievement for them,” said Duffy.
“Here at PEI we managed to keep part of our Ice Age. …Not having that opportunity to compete or train off-island for any length of time has certainly been a struggle.”
I think she was a great role model not only for the Chinese community but also for younger skaters.
— Kim Duffy, Daisy’s trainer
Duffy said the entire figure skating community at PEI has benefited from the influx of families from China who have come and embraced the sport.
She said having Daisy at the Canada Games will only help build that excitement around figure skating.
“I think they’re looking for role models, they want to join a sport. When they know someone is good at a sport, they go to that sport as a group,” Duffy said.
“I think she was a great role model not only for the Chinese community but also for younger skaters.”
“It’s part of a Future Champs program that we rode up in Kensington on Sunday morning,” said Duffy.
“There are so many young skaters who are also participating and they have also been role models for this group of skaters.”
