“If There’s a Will, There’s a Way”: The Heart of Adult Skating
Since 2005, Oberstdorf, Germany has warmly welcomed adult skaters from around the world to the annual ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition—an event that celebrates passion, community, and lifelong love for skating. At the July 2025 edition, Canadian skaters proudly brought home 30 medals across disciplines, but it wasn’t just about podium finishes. For friends, Danielle Duclos (NB) and Cathy Lynd (ON), the experience was a celebration of perseverance, growth and the pure joy of skating—capturing the heart of what adult skating is all about.
Danielle and Cathy met through the Canadian adult skating community, bonding over a shared love for the ice and a drive to keep growing as athletes. This year, they stood side by side on the international stage, not just as fellow competitors, but as teammates cheering each other on every step of the way.
Cathy Lynd and Danielle Duclos at the 2025 ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition.
Despite their shared journey, the two skaters came to Oberstdorf with different levels of experience—Cathy, attending for the fifth time, and Danielle, making her long-awaited Oberstdorf debut.
Danielle grew up skating but stepped away from the sport in her teenage years. Thanks to a friend’s encouragement, she re-joined the skating community in 2011 and competed in her first domestic adult competition in 2012. Ever since, she had dreamed of attending Oberstdorf. But year after year, life got in the way—between scheduling conflicts, injuries, and, as she openly admits, self-doubt.
“I was too focused on the result,” Danielle said. “I wanted to be better first. But adult skating is so much more than that.”
In early 2025, she asked herself a question that changed everything: “What if I’m not skating a year from now?” That simple thought made her realize that the perfect moment might never come, and that she didn’t want to miss the opportunity again.
“As adult skaters, we don’t always know when the fun will expire” she said. “So, I decided it was time.”
The road to Oberstdorf wasn’t easy. Danielle had to book her own ice time and manage the financial demands of training and travel. But she stuck to her motto: “If there’s a will, there’s a way.” When she finally arrived in Germany, the moment overwhelmed her. After more than a decade of waiting, she was brought to tears—grateful, proud, and ready to live out her dream.
(left) Danielle Duclos with her coach Janna MacLellan. (Right) Danielle at the 2024 North American International Adult Competition.
What she found there exceeded her expectations. Skaters from around the world offered encouragement and support. Competitors became fast friends, helping each other through nerves and celebrating every skate regardless of the score. Reflecting on the experience, Danielle emphasized the importance of staying focused on personal progress rather than comparison.
“That’s what adult skating is all about,” she added. “Not being the best but being better than you were yesterday.”
That spirit was evident when Danielle and Cathy competed alongside each other in the Silver Women’s III Free Skate event. Rather than viewing one another as competitors, they approached it as teammates, each aiming to skate their best. Cathy captured gold, while Danielle finished 16th, and both celebrated with equal joy and pride.
For Cathy, skating has always been a constant in her life—beginning in childhood, where she developed a love for ice dance, and continuing through her university years where she joined a synchronized skating team to stay involved in the sport. In adulthood, she returned to singles skating, competing in both free skate and artistic events. Wanting to revisit her passion for ice dance, she even convinced her husband to lace up his skates and join her to form an ice dance team. No matter the discipline, Cathy’s attitude going into competitions is always rooted in trying her best and enjoying the experience.
“What I want when I go to these things is to come off the ice feeling that I did the best that I could, no matter where I placed” said Cathy.
For both women, adult skating is about far more than medals. It’s a way to stay active, prioritize their well-being, and create space in their lives for joy, friendship, and personal growth.
“Our value isn’t defined by our performances alone,” Danielle shared. “We have to remember why we’re skating in the first place.”
Danielle and Cathy’s journeys show that skating can offer community, purpose, and personal fulfillment at every stage of life. They hope their experiences inspire others to not only join the adult skating community, but to consider getting involved in competition, no matter their age or experience level.