Canadian skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek is set to make an impressive comeback after 17 years of retirement.
The 42-year-old skater is about to make her Olympic debut at the Milano Cortina Games, aiming for gold and the Olympic title.
Stellato-Dudek retired 17 years early due to a serious hip flexor injury, forcing her to announce her retirement less than a year before the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics.
Now her extraordinary comeback speaks volumes about her determination and inspiration.
With sheer determination, the Canadian skater is now looking to win the Olympic title and become the oldest pair skater to win it at this unusual age.
According to Stellato-Dudek during a conversation in an Olympic documentary: “Because of my age, people say that time is ticking for me. Make no mistake, I’m going to do everything I can to win, because I want to become an Olympic champion. I’m going to do whatever it takes to become the oldest Olympic champion ever.”
“My life was going full steam ahead my whole life up until that point. Then it was like a slap in the face,” she said.
She became the oldest female world figure skating champion when she and partner Maxime Deschamps won in 2024. She also won a world junior silver medal for the United States.
In 2019, she teamed up with Canada’s Deschamps after reviving her skating career 2.0.
While talking about her age, Stellato-Dudek said she considers her age an asset and not a liability.
She said: “I don’t give my age any power. I think it gives me strength. I’ve lived a lot. I’ve loved, I’ve lost – and I can portray those experiences on the ice.”
“I’m not going to stop skating until I decide I’m done, regardless of what other people think a woman at a certain age should or shouldn’t do,” she said. Reuters.
