Small in stature, Danielle Waters becomes large as life the moment she laces up her skates.
Watching her execute a graceful spiral, it’s clear why she was chosen to perform with some of Canada's skating elite at the Meridian Centre. On Nov. 8, Waters will join Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, along with other champion skaters, for their Rock the Rink tour.
“They’re my favourites,” Danielle, age 28, told the Thorold News.
Danielle “has Down Syndrome,” explained her Thorold coach, Nancy Jo Gamache. “And that’s about as far as her challenge goes.”
People with Down Syndrome have “hyper flex joints,” she noted. “To do a spiral, she has come so far.”
Virtue and Moir, said Gamache, have “completely revamped ice dancing.”
She added, “A Special Olympian is dancing in every one of their shows.”
“We saw them a couple years ago at the ice show, and she’s wanted to meet them for years,” said Margaret Waters, Danielle’s mom. “She skates in memory of her father, who passed away six years ago.”
The song Danielle will skate to is Josh Groban’s Up Where You Are.
“To skate in front of a huge audience is such an opportunity to show what they can do,” added Margaret. “Things have gotten better, where people seem to realize more that children and adults with challenges are capable of a lot more than they thought 15 to 20 years ago.”
That shift in mindset is due, in part, she said, to the inclusion of special needs students in regular schools.
“It takes her a while to learn things, but once she learns it, she doesn’t lose it. It’s such an honour for all these Special Olympians to show the country just how wonderful they are.”
According to Margaret, her daughter “loves to perform. She could have a lousy practice, but as soon as the lights come on, she loves it.”
Sue Labatte of Thorold “made her an amazing dress” for the occasion, said Gamache, “and all these Thorold people have played a part in helping her.”
Gamache added that Waters “qualified to go to the provincial games in Sault Ste. Marie, and she won a gold.”
Margaret said her daughter “was the only athlete in the winter sports south of Hamilton that qualified to go. She’s very competitive. I remember at the first qualifier in Alliston, she placed fourth. Her coach and I were absolutely thrilled. She wasn’t happy. She said, ‘I want to be first’.”
Danielle began skating 12 years ago in Fort Erie, said her mom, “and then we ended up coming here to Merritton. It’s the best thing we ever did. She has absolutely blossomed under Nancy Jo. She wouldn’t have gotten that far without Nancy Jo’s coaching and guidance” for the past 10 years, she stated.
A long-time skater and coach from Thorold, Gamache began teaching special needs in Toronto, then moved to Dunnville in 1978, to Stamford, and finally to Merritton, where she’s taught skating for 32 years.
Skaters with special needs “pay a nominal fee to skate, and the club kicks in” the balance through fundraising bingo nights, spaghetti dinners, “and whatever,” she said, to cover the cost of ice rentals.
“Last year, we had to raise $1,500 for donations to go to provincials,” assisted by the Knights of Columbus and others, Gamache said. “Whenever you talk about Special Olympics, people are here to help.”
“I have six registered Special Olympians,” she added, some of whom compete, and some of whom are in training.
In 2015, Danielle was one of four Ontario athletes chosen to carry the torch during the Pan Am Games.
“I got to run on Church Street” in St. Catharines, she stated proudly. “I love to skate. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”
The former Lakeshore Catholic High School student currently works at a retail store in Fort Erie, where she lives, and is part of a local drama group for special needs.
“She also swims for Special Olympics in Port Colborne,” said Gamache.
“Here, at Merritton, she does a lot with skating,” she continued. “Special Olympics are very different. We cover all of Niagara. This program has been in Merritton for 30 years. This may be our last year, because of the numbers. I am looking for a new home. My other program, Skating Unchallenged, pulls from all over.”
Tickets and information about Rock the Rink is available on the Meridian Centre website.
