Hometown Ponoka Olympic speedskater Maddison Pearman will soon be heading to the ISU World Cup Speedskating event at Calgary's Olympic Oval Jan. 24-26.
"Throughout the season, there are six World Cups which start in November and go until February, and then we will have the world championships," Pearman explained.
"All of these six world cups lead to qualifying for the world championships. (Calgary) is one of the stops on the tour. We were in Asia in the fall, and then we will do two in North America, two in Europe, and then after those six, we hope to qualify for spots for the world championship."
Pearman, who is based in Calgary, noted she's been on the World Cup circuit now for a couple of years. Looking to the Calgary event, she said it's always a highlight to race at home with friends and family on hand.
"It's really special."
Over the years, her sense of dedication has seen her reach exciting heights, including taking part in the 2022 Olympics in Beijing where she competed in the 1000m and the 1500m.
Pearman first represented Canada on the international stage at the 2013 World Junior Championship, the same season she also began competing on the Junior World Cup circuit. She also competed at a second junior worlds in 2015, according to Olympic.ca.
Later, she competed in her first senior international event at the Four Continents Championships in 2020 where she won silver with the team pursuit and posted top-eight finishes in the 1000m and 1500m. She also landed gold in the team sprint as well.
A week after that, she made her World Cup debut in Calgary.
At the Canadian Long Track Championships in October of 2021, she took bronze in the 1000m and finished fifth in the 1500m to earn her way onto the World Cup team full-time.
And at the second stop in Stavanger, Norway, she won a silver medal in the team sprint. She qualified for her first A-division race in the 1500m in Calgary that December as well.
The accolades didn't stop there.
"Last year, at the 2024 World Championships, I became world champion in the team sprint with two other teammates."
It's been quite the journey over the years, beginning with the solid support from a very sport-oriented family.
"My mom grew up speedskating in Winnipeg, and she stayed involved in it her entire life," said Pearman. "And so it's always kind of been in her blood. My grandparents were also involved as volunteers.
"It really was, from the beginning, such a family-oriented thing. All three of us (Pearman and her two sisters) skated, and my mom coached. My dad started as a volunteer, and he still volunteers - he's a Speedskating Canada official now, too."
Beyond this foundation, there have certainly been those pivotal moments.
"I do have two really vivid memories that kind of sparked my passion for speedskating. One was in 2002. I have this memory of watching Catriona Le May Doan win the gold in Salt Lake City. And then in 2010, my family went to Vancouver to watch the Olympics. My mom's best friend had three kids who skated, and two of them were actually at the Olympics in 2010," she recalled, pointing out that Jessica Gregg won silver in the short track speedskating.
"For me, just being there and seeing the Canadian pride come through; I was pretty young, but I had known Jessica my entire life," she said.
Pearman felt inspired to pursue a dream of having her own moment on the podium one day.
"At that point, speedskating really became my main sport," she said. As the next few years passed, it became clear she had a gift for the sport.
"Fifteen years later, here I am still loving it! Obviously, there are ups and downs, but I still have a whole lot of passion and drive to keep going."
She recalled when she first moved to Calgary, and was training from May clear through to March.
"You are training 11 months of the year, six days a week, and twice a day. I think with it being such a technical sport, there is always room for improvement, too. There is not much of a glass ceiling, as there is always new technology, and new techniques. And you are always meeting coaches with different perspectives," she said. "I have felt like there is always more in me to give.
"It's also making me more excited every year," she said. "I'm still learning more. And of course, going fast is always fun," she added with a laugh.
"I get to see the world, compete, and to represent Canada - that's always been a dream."
Meanwhile, it's very much about focus - and also about surrounding herself with a solid support system.
"It is a lot of focus and making sure that every practice is deliberate, and you are doing things right," she said. "I also learn something new every time that I go out on the start line - technically, and about myself, too. It's a constant battle, but it's also fun when things go well, and you skate really fast."
Pearson has also coached with the Special Olympics - which has been a meaningful experience, too.
"I feel like I have learned a lot from those athletes. The sheer joy they receive from just being part of the sporting community is heartwarming in and of itself," she said.
"That is so inspiring, because it's so easy to be down on yourself when you have a bad race. Then you see these athletes who are thriving in their ability to be able to compete, and they are just so happy to be there. I'm very grateful I've had the opportunity to work with those athletes."
Her desire to help and train others goes even further through organizations like Classroom Champions, where she visits schools to share her story and experiences.
"It's about passing along concepts like perseverance, teamwork, leadership, overcoming adversity - those kinds of things."
She loves connecting with young skaters who are on their way, too.
"I feel so much gratitude when I see how excited those kids are, and their passion for speedskating."
But ultimately, she also loves seeing youth find something to go after and focus on.
The rewards are plentiful, she said.
"it can be about school, or rodeo, or music - as long as you find a passion."
