At 42 years old, Canadian pair skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek is preparing to make her Olympic debut at next month's Milano Cortina Games, not just as a participant but as a reigning world champion with a powerful ambition: to win gold.
From Teenage Prodigy to World Champion After 16 Years Away
Stellato-Dudek's journey is a remarkable tale of resilience. She was once a teenage prodigy for the United States, winning a world junior silver medal. However, a severe hip flexor injury at age 17 forced her into an early retirement, just a year before the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. She stepped away from the sport for 16 years, building a successful career as an aesthetician.
Yet, the call of the ice never truly left her. "Even when I was retired, I would hear a song on the radio and imagine myself skating to it," she has admitted. The pivotal moment for her return came in 2016 during a work retreat. When asked what she would do if she knew she could not fail, her immediate answer was to win an Olympic gold medal. Two weeks later, she was searching for her old skates.
An Unlikely Pairs Partnership and a New Nationality
For her second act, Stellato-Dudek switched to pairs skating, a discipline she had previously avoided. In 2019, she teamed up with Canadian skater Maxime Deschamps and relocated to Montreal. They set their sights on the 2026 Olympics, knowing she would not gain Canadian citizenship in time for the 2022 Beijing Games. She officially became a Canadian citizen just over a year ago, clearing her path to the Milano Cortina Olympics.
The partnership proved spectacularly successful. In 2024, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps triumphed at the World Championships, making her the oldest female world figure skating champion in history. Now, she aims to break another record by becoming the oldest pair skater ever to win an Olympic title.
Defying Age and Embracing the Challenge
Stellato-Dudek is acutely aware that her age sets her apart in a sport often dominated by younger athletes. She faces online criticism about her appearance, but she reframes her age as a strength. "I give my age no power," she stated. "I think it gives me strength. I've lived a lot of life. I've loved, I've lost — and I can portray those experiences on the ice."
The physical demands are immense. She has been open about the constant toll, saying, "It's important to understand that I am almost never not in pain. I'm sore every day." Despite this, her determination is unwavering. In a recent documentary, she declared, "Make no mistake, I'm going to do everything it takes to win, because I want to be Olympic champion."
Furthermore, her Olympic debut will not be a farewell. She has firmly stated she will continue skating on her own terms, refusing to let perceptions about age dictate her career's end. "I already left this sport once before my time, so I'm not going to do that again," she told Reuters.
As the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics approach, Deanna Stellato-Dudek stands as a powerful symbol of enduring passion and defied expectations, ready to write a new chapter in Olympic history.
