Signe Ronka

Signe Ronka (born April 23, 1988) is a Latvian Canadian former competitive figure skater. She won three medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and competed at the 2003 World Junior Championships.

Signe Ronka
Personal information
Country representedCanada
Born (1988-04-23) April 23, 1988
Riga, Latvia
ResidenceToronto, Ontario, Canada
Height1.67 m (5 ft 5 1⁄2 in)
Former coachEllen Burka, Marcus Christensen, Petra Burka
Former choreographerEllen Burka, David Wilson
Skating clubGranite Club
Began skating1997
Retired2006
ISU personal best scores
Combined total111.84
2004 JGP Belgrade
Short program36.65
2004 JGP Belgrade
Free skate75.81
2004 JGP Romania

Personal life

Ronka was born on April 23, 1988 in Riga, Latvia.[1] She arrived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the age of three.[2]

Career

Ronka trained at the Granite Club in Toronto with coaches Ellen Burka and Marcus Christensen. In the 2001–02 season, she debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series. She won the junior bronze medal at the 2002 Canadian Championships[3] and the junior gold medal at the 2002 Triglav Trophy.

In the 2002–03 season, Ronka won a pair of medals at her JGP assignments — bronze in Courchevel and silver in Milan. Her results qualified her for the JGP Final in The Hague, Netherlands, where she finished seventh. She withdrew from the 2003 Canadian Championships due to a groin injury, having resumed full training in mid-January.[4] She placed 16th at the 2003 World Junior Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

In 2004, Ronka won bronze at a JGP event in Belgrade. She ended her career with a 10th place finish at the 2006 Canadian Championships and then retired from elite competition. She went on to skate for the University of Toronto varsity team, placing 1st at the 2007 and 2008 OUA Finals. In 2008, she received the Competitive Athlete of the Year award from the University of Toronto. Injuries ultimately ended Ronka's competitive career.

Ronka skated for two seasons (2007 to 2008) at the Canada's Wonderland "Endless Summer" ice show. She has worked as a coach and choreographer at the East York Skating Club, the Granite Club in Toronto, Ontario, and the Richmond Training Centre in Richmond Hill, Ontario.[5]

She has developed a sport specific fitness program called Figure Skater Bootcamp, which helps skaters prevent injuries and improve performance on the ice. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a certified personal trainer.[6]

Movies

Awards
  • "Own the Podium 2010" Funding Award (2006)
  • Petro-Canada Olympic Torch Scholarship (2002–03, 2003–04)
  • Granite Club Gold Crest Award (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) and Outstanding Volunteer Award (2006)
  • Bank of Montreal "Possibilities" Award (2002)
  • Toller Cranston Bursary Award (2000, 2001, 2002)
  • Elvis Stojko Bursary
  • Underhill/Martini "Hopes & Dreams"
  • University of Toronto Athlete of the Year (2007)
  • 2002 Junior Female Athlete of the Year Finalist, 30th Annual Canadian Sport Awards[7]

Programs
Season Short program Free skating
2002–2003
[8]
  • Hungarian Dances No. 4 - 6
    by Johannes Brahms, performed by the
    Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
2004–2005
[1]

Competitive results

JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[9]
Event 99–00 00–01 01–02 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06
World Junior Champ.16th
JGP Final7th
JGP Bulgaria9th
JGP Croatia6th
JGP France3rd
JGP Italy7th2nd
JGP Romania7th
JGP Serbia3rd
Triglav Trophy1st J
National[9]
Canadian Champ.3rd JWD11thWD10th
Canadian Jr. Champ.9th P
Eastern Challenge1st P1st J
Central Ontario Sect.1st V1st P
Tomorrow's Champions,
Kelowna, BC		5th V
WD = Withdrew
Levels: V = Juvenile; P = Pre-novice; J = Junior

References
  1. "Signe RONKA: 2004/2005". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on July 20, 2005.
  2. Mittan, Barry (April 19, 2002). "Signe Ronka: Rising Star". Golden Skate.
  3. "Signe Sports a New Look". Skate Canada. February 26, 2002. Archived from the original on March 19, 2004.
  4. "Junior skaters ready for worlds". The Canadian Press. The Globe and Mail. February 21, 2003. Archived from the original on August 30, 2004.
  5. "Signe Ronka". Richmond Training Centre. Archived from the original on December 2, 2018.
  6. "Figure Skater Bootcamp". Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  7. "Olympians dominate Canadian Sport Awards nominees". CBC Sports. February 13, 2003. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012.
  8. "Signe RONKA: 2002/2003". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 10, 2003.
  9. "Signe RONKA". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on April 27, 2016.
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