Chloe (Chenxi)
Age: 22
Nickname: Clo
Hometown: Beijing, China
Spirit Animal: “a friendly vegetarian tiger. I value the power of persistence, and I believe it can help me achieve goals for my life. I also hope I can have more courage, like a tiger, to do things that I love.”
Fun Fact: “I want to be a travel Youtuber.”
Currently participating on the University of Toronto Varsity Figure Skating Team, Chloe’s skating journey began at the age of 5. She originally trained in China but later moved to Canada in grade 9.
While in the past, always having competed as a singles skater, Chloe competed in both similar pairs and synchronized skating for the university team. In February of 2020 the team won their 5th consecutive OUA title in which she and her partner, Gloria Gao, won their paired event and were also both a part of the winning synchro program.
Q: Who is someone (outside of skating) in your life that inspires or motivates you?
“My grandparents. They are kind people who treat everyone equally and when facing difficulties, they have always been positive and optimistic.”
Q: Who was your skating ‘role-model’ when you were younger?
“Yuna Kim. She was a very talented, expressive, and confident skater. Her persistence and powerful performance inspired me.”
Q: What is your favourite element in skating?
“Loop. I use this element as my ‘warm-up jump’ [and always] do this jump first before practicing other elements.”
Q: What is your favourite type of off-ice training. Why?
“Grace and Artistry - it was fun. I had opportunities to try different types of dance and even choreograph for myself.”
Q: How was the transition from China to Canada for skating?
“I felt like the journey of transition was okay. However, the Chinese skating culture and its system are different from Canada; coaching style, class duration, competition rules, costume styles. It’s quite competitive.”
Q: Do you have any pre-competition rituals/superstitions?
“I would wear my lucky panties, lol”
Q: Favourite skating memory?
A group of skating friends cheering for each other on the competition day, in my early years of training.
Q: Have you learned any life lessons from skating?
“Skating [has] prepared me to face challenges and failures in life. Through competitions and practices, I realized failures are valuable, and that they are learning opportunities. To successfully land a jump involves a lot of falls and effort. Failing is absolutely necessary for growth. It is important to view failures as learning lessons, which prepare me for future success. Now, I don’t feel afraid to try something new. And I am open to continuously evolve and discover new passions.”
Q: How has collegiate skating benefited you?
“It was my first time trying synchronized skating. I enjoyed it a lot. I made friends and developed teamwork throughout the process. I also learned how to build and maintain relationships with teammates and coaches through training and competitions.”
“Skating synchro with teammates,” is one of her favourite collegiate skating memories.
As a rising fourth-year student, Chloe is studying Kinesiology and Physical Education at the University of Toronto.
“Sport is an integral part of my life, and I have devoted myself, competed and given back to the sport for most of my life.”
Thus, sparking her interest in the field of Kinesiology. She is currently taking summer courses and will be participating in an internship in the coming year and hopes to gain more valuable practical experience to help decipher a more specific career path. As of late, Chloe has become more interested in the field of maltreatment in sport and sport concussions.
Outside of skating Chloe enjoys sewing. “It offers me space to do something on my own and allows me to relax and enjoy that time.”
She also hopes to one day visit South Africa. “I love adventure, and I feel South Africa is an exciting and historical place worth visiting.”
Q: Do you do any type of visualization or meditation?
“I don’t [currently] do mediation, but recently [have been thinking about starting] to improve attention and reduce stress.”
Lastly, What does it mean to you to have a #ChampionshipMindset?
“A championship mindset means I am ready to be the best version of myself. A strong mindset is powerful and motivates me to challenge myself. It has really helped me change my thinking from, “I can’t” to “I can”.”
