Huge effort is put into figure skating, with the ultimate goal of making it look easy. Cara Moir knows all about making it look easy. For as long as she can remember, figure skating has been a big part of her and her family’s lives. Actually, that’s an understatement – more accurately, the lives of the Moir family have revolved around figure skating. Many would agree, Cara Moir’s family is the glue that keeps the figure skating community together, in Ilderton and beyond. Her mother and aunt are known throughout the Canadian figure skating community as the dynamo coaching duo, the Moir twins. Her cousin, Scott Moir, of the highly decorated ice dance team, was honoured with Olympic gold in 2010. Both of her sisters are well known around the rink for their powerhouse skating skills and, more recently, effective coaching techniques. Cara Moir’s father, without even practicing the sport, is Skate Canada’s go-to volunteer for large scale events across the country. Of course, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Just like her family, Moir’s contribution to her sport is immense. Her niche in the sport is synchronized skating, and has earned her the absolute highest honour in the sport: world champion. If you’ve never seen synchronized skating in action, picture up to 20 skaters moving as one flowing unit on ice, completing intricate footwork in different formations like circles, lines, blocks, wheels, and even intersections. Now, add in high speeds, sharp skate blades, lifts, and turns called twizzles, counters, and rockers. Picture all of this happening at the same time (by 20 athletes!). Oh, and picture all of this looking easy, too. Easier said than done, that’s for sure. When Moir came to King’s from 2004 to 2007, her decision was influenced by wanting to stay close to her hometown. It was a juggling game. In addition to kicking off her university career as a local student, she was an integral member of two championship skating teams: the Western varsity figure skating team and the leading synchronized skating team at her hometown club, the Ilderton Skating Club. Even at this point, her PHOTO: Claus Andersen
figure skating accomplishments were too numerous to recount, but included winning an OUA championship title with Western and several national gold medals with the Ilderton Skating Club. For most young athletes, competing at this level is where they peak. Moir’s not one to leave anything on the table, and she knew she wanted more. The ultimate challenge meant competing at an even higher level – the highest possible level in her sport of synchronized skating. Moir joined the highly competitive and world renowned Canadian synchronized skating team called NEXXICE Senior Synchronized Skating Team, based out of Burlington, Ontario. “I’ve always been really competitive, and I knew that I wanted to at least try to compete at the highest level possible.” Along with the regular demands of university life, Moir was excited to commit countless hours of training, practices, and competitions (and commuting to training, practices, and competitions). Even as she competed at the highest level with NEXXICE, she managed to make it look easy. Moir represented Canada twice at the World Synchronized Skating Championships. In Croatia in 2009, her team brought the gold back to Canada. “Looking back at that time in my life, I realize it wasn’t easy – doing school work while balancing the demands of training and travelling and injuries, unfortunately – but I wouldn’t take it back for a second. It was worth every ounce of energy. Coming from a skating family and having my sister as a teammate definitely helped, but I couldn’t have done it without the community at King’s. My professors were so supportive and the academic counselors went above and beyond to help me deal with scheduling challenges. Even my classmates helped me when I needed it.” Moir continues to correspond with the King’s community as she plans to return to King’s to complete her degree this year, while also managing her family’s restaurant, Shoeless Joe’s in London Ontario. She also continues her involvement with the Western varsity figure skating team as an assistant coach.
The King’s Herald | fall 2012 19