Nanaimo skater bound for Senegal & Japan on path to 2028 Olympics

The trip to Senegal will mark Evie’s first without her parents, Miles and Vanessa, going with her, instead travelling with her coach to Amsterdam for a few days before heading to West Africa.

Once she returns to Canada, Evie will only have a short time at home before travelling back to Japan for a World Skate event, doubling as an Olympic qualifier.

Last year’s event in Kitakyushu saw Evie earn automatic entry onto the Canadian national team via semi-final appearance, a result she’s hoping to improve upon this time.

“My first World Skate in Japan, it was just the coolest experience, and it made me want to go back to these contests because it was so fun, and I had a really good time skating against all these new people, getting to meet new people.”

It will mark the second Olympic qualifying event she’s contested, after an 11th-place performance in Paraguay earlier this month.

“We’re kind of in the beginning of all the Olympic qualifier stuff. Going to these contests and getting to the Olympics is one of my big goals, but I’m still trying to focus on having fun and enjoying myself.”

Watching Evie’s growth from the sidelines, her father Miles said she continues to go from strength to strength.

The experience of watching his daughter abroad in Senegal, from their Nanaimo home, will be a new one.

“I think you have to see the process through. As parents, I think you just kind of stick it out with them, these things kind of roll one to the other into the next, and fortunately, Evie has the help of sponsors and organizations that are developing athletes that are helping her kind of get there.”

He said as her ranking has climbed, boosted by top performances at high-end events, more support has come through some sponsorships and institutional funding.

The assistance is welcomed, given what will likely be an exceptionally busy 2027 schedule with a series of Olympic qualifying events, and other competitions.

Miles said watching Evie develop as a skater over the last few years has given him a lot of confidence on her ability to handle the next phase in her career.

“I actually trust that she actually knows what’s right for her. She’s actually pretty good at that kind of thing, she usually has an idea of how far she can push herself. It’s completely different than my own threshold for myself. I would say that I’m not as brave, quite frankly, but I think she’s pretty measured…she’s got quite a deliberate approach to things.”

Of the 19 skaters ahead of Evie in the world rankings, just three are 14 years old or younger, while the next highest-ranked Canadian female skater is 13-year-old Olivia Jang, from Oakville, ON, in 67th.

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by Alex Rawnsley

Nanaimo skater bound for Senegal & Japan on path to 2028 Olympics

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