Perhaps in a few years from now, someone will be picking up flowers for her at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
However, on Sunday in Victoria, 11-year-old Hailey Dickson-Greaves of Campbell River met her favourite skater, Patrick Chan, and picked up bouquets of flowers following the men’s free skate at the 2011 BMO Canadian Figure Skating Championships.
Chan captured his fourth straight national title with a stunning performance and took the time to pose with in a photo with Dickson-Greaves. She also got to meet bronze medalist Joey Russell.
Last August, Dickson-Greaves applied to be flower retriever volunteer at the national championships. She then had to attend an audition in Victoria and, two weeks later, was notified she had been selected.
Dickson-Greaves volunteered at the senior women’s short program and free skate, as well at the men’s free skate, and later said it was the highlight of her young life.
Dickson-Greaves began figure skating in Campbell River at the age of four and started competing at age six. She currently compete in Pre-Juvenile Ladies and placed sixth in the free skate at the Skate Canada Sections last November.
She’s a hard-worker too as she skates five
days a week at Strathcona Gardens and trains another four hours a week at Urban Dance Connection. Dickson-Greaves pays tribute to her skating coach, Jannine Ranniger, who always encourages her to do her best.