UW student heading to world championship after incredible experience at Beijing Olympics

After competing in her first Olympics, Maddie Schizas said it was a great experience. Now, she's ready to hit the ground running and train for the next big competition. 

“I am competing at the world championship in three weeks, and I am hoping to improve my finish. I want a top 10 finish to help Canada qualify for an extra spot for the world championship, and I want to set myself up for a successful four years.”

Schizas is a first-year urban planning student at the University of Waterloo. She is used to living under the radar, and that's what she plans on doing once she heads back to UW next week.

Before getting ready for the Olympics, the challenge was not to test positive for COVID-19. 

“We had about a month between team selection and leaving for the Olympics. If you tested posted for COVID in that one month, it would be more difficult to get to the Olympics. So, I focused on my training during that time, and once I got to Beijing, I was able to enjoy the experience.”

Schizas skated in two events for Canada: The singles free skate and teams free skate. 

“I was really happy with the team event. I put up a really good skate there. I knew going into this would be the more important one for me because Canada has a realistic chance for a medal. I am not as happy with my event, but there is just lots to take from that and a lot to learn hopefully four years from now.”

This time of year, many winter sports athletes are working hard to focus on either the World Championships or World Cup, depending on the sport they compete in. Many who competed in this year's Olympics are returning home to only focus on the next competition that will happen over the next few weeks. 

“I had such a great time when I was there. I enjoyed being a part of the Canadian event and meeting other athletes,” Schizas added.