Sunshine Coast Skating Club member Caitlin Jarvis was taken totally unaware when she was awarded the BC Coast Regional STARSkate athlete of the year award in April.
She was taken by surprise yet again when it was announced she had then won the BC/YT section (provincial) award in May. Both of these awards eventually paved the way to her being named the recipient of the Skate Canada National STARSkate athlete of the year award at the recent Skate Canada National annual general meeting and awards gala held in Vancouver on May 26.
The award is a first for the club as well as for Caitlin and comes following six years of hard work and dedication.
The award recipient must fit into stringent criteria that exemplify not only success in skating, but success in life as well. Nominees for this award should reflect the essence of the STARSkate program, including participation, achievement, personal success, display spirit and passion for the sport, strive for new goals, achieve balance — within skating and in other areas of life — as well as display a record of giving back to the sport by assisting at club level (e.g. program assisting, volunteering for club events, etc.).
“Caitlin is very much the public face of figure skating here on the Sunshine Coast. She is a wonderful role model for all our skaters,” said club past-president Joanne Bennison.
Her successes in skating have been many. Representing the Sunshine Coast at the BC Winter Games, being talent IDed and chosen for the regional select team, numerous top five placements throughout her career thus far, including a couple of regional championships. This year alone Caitlin brought home one fourth-place finish, three third-place finishes, one second-place finish, and three first-place finishes including a regional championship.
Caitlin accumulated enough points throughout the Pond to Podium Super Series events to earn a third place overall trophy in the series in addition to successfully trying out for the provincial Elite Synchro Team.
Caitlin as well attended a primary judging clinic hosted by the B.C. Region, and is the youngest data specialist in training with the B.C. Coast Region. She volunteers at numerous competitions and events throughout the province.
“I know it is a great honour and I will do my best to live up to what this award brings with it,” she said. “My parents and really all of my family make sure that I try to keep my priorities in order, and that I continually think about the future, my education, and how I can utilize what I have learned in skating in my everyday life. I could never have achieved what I have to date without their dedicated support.”
— Submitted
