Ridley College is adding figure skating to its sports portfolio.
The historic St. Catharines based boarding school is proud to announce the creation of a new high-performance figure skating program.
Ridley is an official Skating School Partner of Skate Ontario, operating within the national framework of Skate Canada, the recognized governing body for the sport of figure skating in Canada. It is the only Canadian Accredited Independent School (CAIS) with a Skating School designation in Canada.
The Ridley College Skating School is aligned with Skate Canada’s Podium Pathway and offers student-athletes 12 to 18 hours of weekly training, combining on-ice instruction with off-ice development. Skaters will benefit from access to Ridley’s high-performance facilities, including a fitness centre, yoga studio, spin room, dance studio and athletic therapy services. There is no other comprehensive programme like this that combines boarding, academics and figure skating in Canada. As a boarding school, student-athletes can live, learn and pursue their passion for skating at Ridley College. This is an ideal opportunity for athletes in Grades 7 through 12 at the Juvenile, Pre-Novice and Novice levels.
“Far too often, competitive figure skaters are forced to choose between skating and academics. Ridley is in the unique position to provide skaters with the opportunity to pursue figure skating to the highest level while attaining a world-class education,” said Jenna Cameron, Associate Director of Admissions at Ridley College.
“Amongst many other benefits, Ridley’s approach to the sport supports physical and mental wellbeing with the opportunity to compete in this individual sport with the benefits of a team dynamic.”
Led by Head Coach Marika Steward, the coaching faculty includes a rotation of internationally-recognized athletes and champions, including Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko, Nam Nguyen, Alissa Czisny, Gracie Gold, and Gladys Orozco.
Ridley’s Skating School designation reflects its commitment to excellence in sport and education, offering skaters a unique opportunity to pursue competitive training while living on campus and receiving a world-class academic experience. Ridley’s high-performance and university-prep athletics programmes ensure that student-athletes have the resources, support and exposure necessary to pursue their educational and athletic aspirations.
A Ridley representative will be at select Skate Ontario/Skate Canada events this competitive season. Visit their website for a schedule. www.ridleycollege.com/events
Ridley is accepting applications for September 2026 enrolment. Families interested in learning more or applying are encouraged to contact Ridley’s Admissions department, admissions@ridleycollege.com.
Figure skating joins hockey (girls and boys) basketball and rowing as the prep sports offered at Ridley College.
Ridley is one of Canada’s oldest independent schools, representing over 65 countries in its student body of approximately 874 students from JK to Grade 12.
Visit ridleycollege.com for more information.
Rod Mawhood is a lifelong Niagara native who has had the pleasure of working in all three mediums – Radio, Print and TV – for over 20 years. His first announcing gig was with the then St. Catharines Stompers. Since then he’s worked in radio and TV in Toronto, and currently is the announcer for the Niagara IceDogs and Niagara River Lions.
Rod also covers the Buffalo Bills for FOX Sports and the Buffalo Sabres for NBC Sports.
