Lee Barkell

Esteemed coach and former pair skater Lee Barkell enters the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in the Professional category.

Barkell, originally from Kirkland Lake, Ontario, has coached athletes to over 90 national and international medals in pairs and singles thus far in his coaching career. As a competitor in the 80’s, Barkell competed in pairs with partner Melanie Gaylor, earning three international medals at the peak of their career in 1986.

Following his retirement as an active competitor, Barkell immediately began his coaching career by turning his attention behind the scenes to teach, support and promote an extensive list of talent from Canada and from around the world. Not only has he coached at five Olympic Games (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018), Barkell’s impressive list of students has included Olympic bronze medallist and World Champion Jeffrey Buttle, Olympic Champion and World bronze medallist Gabrielle Daleman and Olympians and Canadian Pair champions Anabelle Langlois and Cody Hay. For his coaching contributions, Barkell has been previously awarded two Skate Canada Competitive Coaching Awards of Excellence.

Barkell has also been instrumental in supporting skating off-ice, serving on the Skate Canada Board of Directors from 2006-2009 and donating his time to operating committees year after year. In 2019, Barkell became the Head Competitive Coach for world and Olympic level skaters at the Granite Club in Toronto, Ont.

Inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame 2023.