Barrie figure skating champion combines her passion for skating with helping others
A figure skating champion from Barrie is giving back to the community in the best way she knows how.
Olivia Rybicka-Oliver, a 18-year-old Barrie resident and champion figure skater in Poland, has been dedicating her time to spending time with children with various ailments.
Rybicka-Oliver's idea originated from her parents, who run a charity granting wishes for terminally ill children. Her charity, called the Skating for Young Heroes Program, allows her to provide gifts to children and to dedicate some of her spare time.
"As someone who is very grateful for everything that I have, I love giving back to people and especially to kids who are sick," Rybicka-Oliver says. "A lot of the kids don't have the opportunity to skate or do any physical activity like I do."
Rybicka-Oliver, who started skating at just five years old, quickly developed a passion for the sport. She broke the Guinness World Record for the fastest spin on the ice at age 11, clocking 342 revolutions per minute.
Last week, Rybicka-Oliver and her skating partner, Joshua, placed in the top ten in the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Poland.
"I feel like even though I have a partner with me, I feel like it's just me against the world at that moment," Rybicka-Oliver says. "I don't think about anything else. Every other issue that I've been having that day or that week is just set aside and I'm able to focus on something that I really love and it gives me a sense of freedom," she says.
As for what's next, the skating sensation has her sights set on the Olympics.
"My dream is to go to at least one Olympics games and make it to the final at the Olympic games," Rybicka-Oliver says. "I don't know how it's all going to work out, but I know that I'm going to do everything I can to reach my goal of going there and doing really well there," she says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Still so much love between us,' Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Trump's lawyers grill ex-tabloid publisher as 1st week of hush money trial testimony nears a close
After prosecutors' lead witness painted a tawdry portrait of “catch-and-kill” tabloid schemes, defence lawyers in Donald Trump's criminal trial on Friday sought to dig into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.