Mark with Jennifer Don and Jonathon Hunt,
Skate America 04 |
Age: 38
Height: 177 cm (5'10")
Weight: M.Y.O.B.
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario
Raised: Brantford, Ontario
Ajax, Ontario
Residence: Toronto
Hobbies/Interests:
Music, reading, cinema, martial arts,
winter sports, history, travelling
Favourite skaters:
Michelle Kwan, Bourne/Kraatz, Kurt Browning, Yuka Sato, Yu Na Kim,
Yukina, Fumie, Aki, Mao |
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Mark was raised in
Brantford, Ontario, but has lived most of his life
in the Toronto area. As a child, he skated for
a year with the Brantford Figure Skating
Association, sowing the seeds for a lifetime of
appreciation for the sport. The following
year, he gave up skating in favour of music, which has remained a lifelong
pursuit. He currently directs music at a church in
suburban Toronto and is a freelance accompanist for
singers and instrumentalists, including members of
the Oshawa-Durham and Toronto Symphonies.
 I-Ching
with Dave Carmichael, World Juniors 2005
During the day, he
works for a major IT company as a financial
analyst. After hours, he enjoys pursuing his
hobbies and interests which include reading, cinema,
international cuisine and listening to everything
from Handel and Vivaldi to Rush and Dream Theater.
He enjoys watching hockey, soccer, martial arts and
(of course) figure skating. He has also been known
to go on long roadtrips in his trusty little car,
driving through forests, mountains, savanna and
tundra for the sheer enjoyment of it. Mark
lived in Korea for a couple of years in the mid-90s
and travelled in Japan during that time, and
maintains a keen interest in sports and culture from
that part of the world.
Mark has been
dating a great girl, I-Ching, for the last five years and would like to thank her for shivering with
him in cold rinks as he pursues his dream of
becoming a recognized skating journalist! He would
also like to thank Dave Carmichael, one of Canada's
premier skating photographers, for making skating
journalism seem like a fun thing to try.
Thanks also go to Gregg, of course, for seeing some
of the same exciting things in the Japanese ladies
and for lending his expertise to the creation of
this tribute.
Finally, Mark
wishes to thank all of the Japanese lady skaters for
being such an inspiration, and in particular Miki,
Yoshie, Yukari and Aki
and their coaches/chaperones Carol , Josée, Yuka and
Ms. Hamada for
being so nice to meet!
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