Gold medal winning figure skater part of Senior Speaker Series
- Ron Giofu
- Jun 9
- 3 min read
A Senior Speaker Series at Royal Canadian Legion Fort Malden Br. 157 heard from a gold medal winning figure skater last weekend.
Breanna Williams, a Windsor resident who won gold at the Special Olympics world games in Torino, Italy in 2025, was joined by her coach and members of her family where she addressed a small group of people wanting to hear her story.
Williams said it was a dream come true to go to Italy and compete for a gold medal.
“I was grateful to go to Italy and bring a gold medal home,” the 17-year-old Williams said.
The dream of winning a gold medal in the Special Olympics came into sharper focus for Williams when she was paired with coach Laurie Horne-Klassen.
“I found out from her she had a world champion before, so I needed to try it,” said Williams.
Williams said she enjoys her spins most of all.
“I worked on my spins a lot to try and make myself better,” she said.
Noting she started skating when she was four-years-old, Williams stated she was confident she would one day become a world champion.
The work put into training – six hours on the ice and one hour off the ice – is worth it, she added.
It was thrilling to win the gold medal, which came after she did her short program March 11, 2025 and her long program three days later. She said it was the biggest thing she has ever done.
“I was excited, happy and grateful,” said Williams. “I brought gold home to Team Canada.”
Williams thanked her family and her coach, with her grandparents getting credit for driving her wherever she needs to go.
Horne-Klassen said she became Williams’ coach after the COVID-19 pandemic when her previous coach retired.
“That’s when I decided to take Breanna on and I knew she could become world champion,” said Horne-Klassen.
Williams is her second world champion, with her first coming in 2017.
Horne-Klassen said Williams captured first place in Level 5 free skate at the nationals in Calgary in 2024 and third in dance in Level 2 dance.
Horne-Klassen added that once they got to Italy, they found out it was a mixed category that Williams would be competing in where male competitors were welcome to compete as well.
Despite that surprise, Williams went on to beat everyone in free skate anyway on her way to the gold medal.
Horne-Klassen said she helped fundraise $4,500 to help pay for fees and training for the trip to Italy.
“It’s been a real experience for me. It’s been a roller coaster for me as a coach,” she said.
The future sees Williams want to become a world champion again, and that means she has to win at nationals in Kelowna, British Columbia next year and then at the Special Olympics world games in Switzerland in 2028.
“That’s her goal,” said Horne-Klassen.
Jack Edwards and his son Chris, the latter being the co-author of the book “A River Runs Between Us” were at the Legion as part of the Senior Speaker Series this past Tuesday morning.
Future speakers include Olivia Sutton from the James H. Sutton Funeral home to discuss estate planning on June 16 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Local pharmacist John D’Agnillo will be at the Legion June 23 at 10:30 a.m. to discuss senior medications while a representative from the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP) will be on hand June 30 at 10:30 a.m. to talk about reverse mortgages.
Royal Canadian Legion Fort Malden Br. 157 is located at 281 Dalhousie St. in Amherstburg. For more information, call 519-736-4485.
Gold medal winning figure skater part of Senior Speaker Series
By Ron Giofu
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