The Icelandic Canadian - 01.02.2007, Side 11

Vol. 60 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
137
Considering all of this, Leifur reluc-
tantly made the decision to hang up his
skates, and return from his training site in
Waterloo, Ontario, back home to
Winnipeg to pursue his University educa-
tion. However, fate intervened and before
he knew it, he was back on the ice again,
training with a new skating partner by the
name of Lauren Senft.
Lauren was born in 1987, and raised in
Vancouver, British Columbia. Her parents
are Rod and Jean Senft (formally Riley, of
Winnipeg, Manitoba). Her grandparents
are Polly and Derek Riley, and Marie Senft
of Winnipeg.
Lauren and Leifur decided to begin
their skating career training at the top Ice
Dance Centre in the country, located in
Barrie, Ontario, under coaches David
Islam, Kelly Johnson, and Pavol Porac. In
their very first season together, they placed
2nd in Junior at the National
Championships, in Edmonton, Alberta.
They were named to the Junior World
Team, and went on to place 8th at the ISU
Junior World Championships held in The
Hague, Netherlands. This was an incredi-
ble accomplishment for a team in their very
first season together.
From there, while once again still age
eligible for Junior, Lauren and Leifur
moved up to the senior ranks where they
placed fifth in the country at the National
Championships, earning a spot on the
Canadian Senior National Team. As a
result of this success, they have been
assigned to various ISU Senior Grand Prix
events around the world.
In the beginning of 2006, another diffi-
cult decision had to be made. After their
first season as members of the Senior
Canadian National Team, they were now
the top ranked Ice Dance team training on
Canadian soil. Recognizing the importance
of training with the very best in the world,
Lauren and Leifur made the very difficult
decision to leave their training centre in
Barrie, Ontario, in favour of a new loca-
tion, in Canton, Michigan. While it was
very hard to leave the people, coaches, and
centre that they loved, Lauren and Leifur’s
ultimate goal prevailed. In order to accom-
plish their goal of the 2010 Olympics in
Vancouver, Canada, they knew they need-
ed to train alongside the very best in the
world. This decision brought them to the
world renowned Russian coaching team of
Igor Sphilband and Marina Zoueva.
Having just returned from competing
in China and Japan, in the ISU Senior
Grand Prix series, Lauren and Leifur are
now focusing their attention to the upcom-
ing BMO Canadian National Figure
Skating Championships in Halifax, Nova
Scotia in January, 2007. Their goal here is
to place in the top three in the country, and
earn a coveted spot on the Senior World
Team competing in Tokyo, Japan in
March, 2007.
Figure skating training involves both
on and off ice training. Off ice training
includes personal fitness workouts, ballet
classes, ballroom dance, choreography, and
lift classes. The combined on and off ice
training involves approximately 35
hours/week. In spite of this rigorous train-
ing schedule, Leifur has always kept educa-
tion a priority. He is currently enrolled in
the Bachelor of Administrative Studies
program online, through the York
University in Toronto, where he plans to
graduate in the near future. Lauren is also
continuing her education online through
the same University.
Figure skating can be a difficult sport.
There are injuries to contend with, finan-
cial hardships, and physical and emotional
challenges, among many others. This said,
Leifur has been fortunate enough to see the
world, having traveled to such locations as
Mexico, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Italy, Korea,
Norway, China, Japan, Ukraine, and the
Netherlands, making strong friendships
along the way. It has been 16 years, and
Leifur’s love and passion for his sport has
only grown stronger. He finds it hard to
imagine where his life would have taken
him, had he not reluctantly agreed to take
that very first step on the ice as a figure
skater. Leifur is grateful to have found an
Ice Dance partner who shares the same love
and commitment to the sport. Their goal of
skating in the 2010 Olympics is now but a
few years away, and they are on target for
achieving this goal!!