Sjoerd Witteveen photo
Lauren Cooper has loved skating since she was a pre-schooler and enjoys working at Canada’s Wonderland this season.
Aurora
July 22, 2008 09:51 AM
By: Sean Pearce, Staff Writer
Nineteen-year-old Lauren Cooper skillfully sails across the ice at the Wonderland Theatre at Canada’s Wonderland in Vaughan and, as she does, the crowd becomes a faceless blur.
Her graceful moves upon the glimmering white ice surface are made even more impressive as she executes them all despite her slightly unusual performance attire.
Rather than wearing the type of outfit one might normally picture a figure skater donning when performing a routine, Ms Cooper’s lithe frame is garbed in two oversized fabric graham crackers, a massive foam marshmallow and a large, albeit fake, piece of chocolate. Strange, perhaps, but dressing up as a s’more is all in a day’s work for Ms Cooper while performing in the Endless Summer On Ice show at the local theme park.
“The s’more costume is a lot of fun,” she said.
“When we first saw it, we couldn’t believe we had to wear it, but now it’s just fun.”
It’s not every day a teenager describes their summer job between university semesters as fun, but Ms Cooper said she simply couldn’t have dreamed of a better gig. She’s still sometimes in shock when she receives a paycheque for it.
“I sometimes can’t believe I’m getting paid to do it,” the born-and-raised Auroran said.
After all, ice skating has been one of Ms Cooper’s passions for practically her entire life, so going to work is by no means a hassle. Something of an added bonus is the fact Ms Cooper gets to work on the very same stage where she watched ice shows as a little girl.
“It’s on the stage where they did ice shows in the 1990s,” Lauren said. “I actually remember watching (the shows) there.”
It’s quite a thrill, without question, and one Ms Cooper’s mother, Barbara Cooper, said she shares.
It’s amazing to get the chance to see her daughter up on the stage skating her heart out and she makes a point to go see her as often as she can, she said.
“I try and go see her about once a week,” Mrs. Cooper said. “I bought a season pass just so I could see her.”
Mrs. Cooper said she couldn’t be prouder of her daughter for all of her accomplishments and never tires of the ’60s-themed ice show.
Her laptop is virtually overflowing with photos.
That kind of encouragement has served Lauren well throughout her life ever since her mother first strapped skates on her and her sister’s feet and put them on the ice. Ms Cooper’s sister eventually tired of the activity and traded her skates in for a saddle, but Ms Cooper found something she still says she loves to this day.
“I was about four and my mom decided to put us in lessons,” Lauren said. “I really took to it, so I kept it up.”
Under the tutelage of the coaches at the Aurora Skating Club, Ms Cooper fell more and more in love with skating. And, as she grew older, so did her passion for the sport.
Of course, it wasn’t always a love affair between Ms Cooper and skating. Trying to learn a new jump often proved difficult and there was nothing more frustrating than falling again and again, but Ms Cooper remained persistent and, eventually, her tenacity paid off.
“It was hard sometimes, too, because I’d just get a new jump and then I’d grow,” she said. “It can really throw you off.”
Yet, Ms Cooper never gave up.
She passed her gold tests in freeskate, dance and skills and even placed second at the senior bronze level of freeskate at the Ontario provincials.
In her final year at Aurora High School, Ms Cooper competed at the junior level of competitive free skate taking home gold, silver and bronze medals in the long program.
Ms Cooper also tried to achieve her junior competitive test level and passed everything save for the double axle.
Her landing was only slightly off, she said, but when it comes to competitive tests, precision means everything.
Yet, it’s no sore spot for Ms Cooper and nor is the failure to achieve the level a representation of Olympic dreams dashed. Ms Cooper said she was doing it for herself.
“At one point, when I was younger, I figured out that competition wasn’t what I wanted to do,” Lauren said. “(Skating) was something I wanted to do for fun.”
That’s not to say Ms Cooper isn’t up for a little competition when the opportunity presents itself. In her freshman year at the University of Western Ontario, she made the varsity figure skating team, which went on to become Ontario University Athletics champions.
The biggest challenge, however, didn’t occur on ice. Balancing a rigorous skating schedule and a full slate of first-year courses could be quite the juggling act unto itself.
“It’s challenging,” Lauren said. “I get up at 5:30 every day and then have to stay up late to do my homework.”
And there’s definitely plenty of homework, given the fact Ms Cooper is pursuing a science degree with a focus on genetics. Yet, science is one of her other passions so she makes the time to fit it all in.
“I always enjoyed science in high school and did reasonably well,” Lauren said. “I also didn’t mind the homework, so I applied to science.”
As if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Ms Cooper also plans to tack on an honours degree from the prestigious Richard Ivey School of Business to complement the honours degree in science she is trying to achieve. She hopes to have both within five years.
And where will that take Ms Cooper? Well, she still has plenty of time to decide.
“I don’t have an answer yet,” she said. “I’m not sure.”
Ms Cooper’s mother chimes in that her education could definitely give her daughter the skills needed to climb the corporate ladder at a pharmaceutical company. Ms Cooper, however, is making sure she keeps her options open.
“I’m told the opportunities are there,” she said. “I’ll just have to see.”
The one thing for sure, however, is that Ms Cooper plans to keep at skating even if it’s just for fun. She wants to make sure she doesn’t get rusty.
“I’d really love to maintain it,” Lauren said. “It’s a great way to stay in shape and it’s something I’d hate to lose.”
Ms Cooper said she has the credentials required to teach skating to children and would love to do some of that. Her mother said she thinks she’d be fabulous at it and a real inspiration to younger kids just getting their feet wet, so to speak, on the ice.
Ms Cooper’s advice to beginners would be fairly simple. Just keep at it, love it and don’t get discouraged.
With that in mind, there’s just no telling where skating might take you — even as a s’more at a popular theme park.