​Local skater brings home bronze from Special Olympics World Winter Games

Brooke Thomas can still hear her teammates cheering her on as she skated to a bronze-medal finish at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy.

The 23-year-old Kincardine figure skater was at the games March 8-15, and says the excitement still hasn’t worn off.

“It was pretty amazing,” she says. “The highlight was skating in front of thousands of people. It felt so surreal to step out on the ice. I was a bit nervous but once I got started on my routine and I heard my friends on Team Canada cheering for me, I just went out and skated.”

Brooke competed in the ladies’ singles Level 1 freeskate, and was thrilled to make it to the podium, alongside the gold-medal winner of South Africa, and the silver-medal winner of Germany.

“It was so awesome to receive the bronze medal,” she says. “I didn’t really think I would win, but then they called my name from Canada!”

Brooke says one of the challenges she faced was that the ice was different than what she was familiar with.

“It felt softer, like fake ice,” she says. “But it got better through the week during practice.”

While at the Winter Games, she stayed at Athletes’ Village, while her parents stayed in a hotel. Together, they had a chance to tour the City of Turin, exploring the largest market in Italy, trying gelato for the first time, and checking out the other sights.

Brooke also enjoyed trading pins with athletes from countries all around the world. Her lanyard, which carried her credentials as an athlete, is covered with these pins which she traded for Special Olympics Canada pins. Her favourite is the South African flag made out of beads.

Back home, Brooke is back at work at McDonald’s and the LCBO. She continues to train with her coaches Brenda Hill-McIntosh and Brooke Leppington at the Ripley-Huron Figure Skating Club.

Her focus is on returning to the worlds in Switzerland, four years from now, to compete in Level 2 freeskate and dance. This involves competing at the regionals, then the provincials and then the nationals where she would qualify for the worlds.

“I’m so thankful for my friends and family,” says Brooke. “They are so proud of me. The support is overwhelming.”

Brooke is the daughter of Leigh-Anne and Ian Thomas of Kincardine.