Sandra Pearson

Hall of Fame

Before moving from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan to the Yukon in the mid-sixties, Sandra Pearson took to figure skating and competed in the 1954 and 1957 Western Canadian Divisional Championships and the 1957 Senior Mixed Pairs at the Canadian National Championships.

She jumped across the pond to teach figure skating professionally in Helsinki, Finland, training many Finnish national level athletes between the years of 1960 and 1962.

When she finally landed in the Yukon, Sandra consolidated informal skating groups into the first Whitehorse Figure Skating Club. Within a year the club had doubled in size — to 50 athletes — and Sandra managed to handle things alone. When the club reached 100 athletes in 1965, she recruited volunteers and an assistant coach. As athletes developed and worked to glide to the top of the podium, Sandra knew they were ready for CFSA testing and in 1967 arranged for a judge to come to Whitehorse. Sandra also coached the Arctic Winter Games and Canada Games teams.

Sandra retired from coaching in 1982 but remained a mentor, liaison and resource person to the club and athletes for years.