Michele Docker

What are your coaching credentials?
1989 – I became a Certified Professional Skating Coach
I am a Canadian National Level Certified Professional Skating Coach
I am CanSkate and CanPowerSkate Certified
Possess Star 1-5 Assessment Certified Assessor
Possess Star 6-Gold Assessment Certification
Possess Skate Canada CEP Gold Level Status
Possess First Aid Certification with CPR
Possess Respect in Sport – Activity Leader Achievement Certificate
Possess Skate Canada Coaches Code of Ethics Certificate
2013 - I was honoured and awarded the 2013 Recipient of Skate Canada’s Coaching
Award of Excellence
2014 – I was awarded my 25-year Coaching Achievement Award by Western Ontario
Section of Skate Canada

Tell us about your skating career?
Time passes by quickly...it’s been many, many years since I had my first pair of skates laced up by my mom and started skating with Langton Skating Club at the age of 3. Early in my skating career I knew my passion was with dance and precision (synchronized) skating. Along the way there were some tough times, with having 3 major knee surgeries, hip surgery and a couple broken ankles which sidelined me from skating. But through hard work and training I came back to the sport I love. I have achieved Gold Level in Skate Canada Dance and several Diamond level dances as well. I was lucky enough to compete in the first ever Canadian Precision Skating Championships and many years later after Skate Canada allowed Professional Coaches to skate with amateur skaters in synchronized skating events I was thrilled to once again lace up my skates and compete as a Competitive Adult Synchronized Skater at the 25th Anniversary Canadian Synchronized Skating Championships in Chilliwack, BC. And ironic as it sounds both times just missing the medals with 4th
place finishes.

During the opening ceremonies in Chilliwack the organizers showed video of that first Championship....my “much” younger team mates laughed when they saw the way teams looked back then, and were really surprised when my husband, Dale, told them they were watching one of their teammates’ skate. A few of them hadn’t even been born yet! Boy was I feeling old at that moment..... It was kinda cool to be able to skate at two big milestone events in the world of skating. 

In 2019 my two teams qualified to compete at World Adult Skating Championships that were held in Oberstdorf, Germany. Adult 2 Team had skates of a lifetime and are Silver World Medalist and Adult 3 Team finished with their highest score ever which earned them a 5th place overall. There were over 1500 athletes from all over the world. In 2015 Adult 3 team won Canadian National Champions and Adult 2 team are 4 time
Canadian National Silver Medalist Over the past 36 years of coaching, I’ve been very proud of several of my skaters who have completed all their Skate Canada dance tests to become Gold Test Dancers/Skaters. And honoured to be coaching alongside fellow students Alexandra Casier-Smith and Nikki Lama. As my professional coaching career went along I had many Synchronized Skating Teams compete at Canadian and International levels of competition with great success winning many Titles and Medals over the years. To add to those exciting times, two of my teams have been inducted into the Norfolk County Sports Hall of Recognition....what an amazing tribute. I feel honoured and Privileged to be a part of so many Great Skaters over my coaching years in Langton.

What are some of your other professional accomplishments?

I am a graduate of Bruno’s School of Hair Design and still hold my Government License in Hair Design, a member of Ontario College of Trades, and I also posses a Business Degree from Mohawk College. My husband, Dale & I were proud owners of Andy’s Drive-In just north of Langton and had expanded our business with two Food Trucks “Andy’s on Wheels”. We have recently retired after selling our Businesses. And moved back to our family farms just north of Langton, where we are enjoying a much slower pace...