An ice skating competition in Sheffield will welcome almost 1,500 competitors to the City in March, travelling from a staggering 11 different countries around the world!
The Steel City Trophy burst onto the synchronized skating calendar in 2019, and thanks to its success was selected as one of the International Skating Union’s calendar of events in 2020. This has meant entries from teams across Europe, Russia and even Australia – with 130% more teams than last year, up from 33 teams competing in 2019 to 76 teams in 2020…
… and it’s all run by volunteers!
Head Coach at the Sheffield Synchronized Skating Academy, Amanda Hembrow-Jones, explains why Sheffield will see an uplift in visitors during March:
"We fully expect to welcome in excess of 2,500 extra visitors to the region"
“Each synchro skating team is made up of between 9 and 16 skaters. Factor in coaches, team managers, chaperones, parents and supporters, and we fully expect to welcome in excess of 2,500 extra visitors to the region for the duration of the competition.
“Of the 76 teams competing, six are from our own Academy here in Sheffield; the rest are travelling to the area and most will stay overnight for several nights. Outside the days they are skating, they will help the local economy through meals, entertainment and shopping – so it’s a real boost for tourism! In addition, we’re using local suppliers for merchandise, video filming and streaming, which helps the region even further.
"The competition is entirely run by myself and a team of parent volunteers"
“Our Academy is a not-for-profit organisation and had a fantastic year of fundraising in 2019, which helped to pay for last year’s competition. We really need help from sponsors this year to make sure we can put on an even bigger and better event, and carry on growing into 2021 and beyond. We’re extremely grateful to those who’ve offered to provide funding or supplies already.
“The competition is entirely run by myself and a team of parent volunteers, all of whom have full-time jobs; it’s been a real labour of love, and everyone at the Academy has helped in one way or another – so we’re all delighted to have achieved this level of recognition and growth after just one year!”
Additional benefits
The Steel City Trophy will also bring many other benefits to Yorkshire, according to Amanda:
“Sheffield is in an ideal place for visitors to explore, and we know many teams are extending their stay in order to visit the surrounding areas such as the Peak District.
“The worldwide skating community is huge, so another successful competition will mean the word will spread quickly about Sheffield. We have amazing sporting facilities here in the City, and this, together with a friendly Sheffield welcome and a great infrastructure make it a prime place to visit and compete.
Dancing on Ice
Anyone who enjoys watching the group numbers on the TV show ‘Dancing on Ice’ should consider going along to iceSheffield to spectate at the Steel City Trophy, which runs from around 1pm on Saturday and Sunday 7-8 March and 11:30 on Monday 9th March. Synchronized skating is a beautiful sport to watch, and spectators can look forward to amazing routines, dazzling costumes and superb skating skills along with thrills and spills!
“Skating is a fun way to stay active, keep fit and promote a healthy lifestyle"
Amanda concludes:
“We’re all very excited that some of the world’s best Senior and Junior teams will be competing here in Sheffield, alongside Great Britain’s championship teams in many categories – a full list can be seen on our Facebook page, Steel City Trophy. “Skating is a fun way to stay active, keep fit and promote a healthy lifestyle – so if we can inspire people to take up skating after watching our teams, we’d be delighted.
“There’s no age barrier to synchro skating, either! We have teams ranging from Beginner to Adult here in Sheffield. Our oldest competitor last year was a lady from Aberdeen aged 73!”
Find out more
If your business can help with sponsorship, or you’d like to find out more about the Steel City Trophy, please get in touch with the organising committee at steelcitytrophy@sheffield-synchro-skating.co.uk.
Spectator tickets are available at http://steel-city-trophy.eventbrite.com.
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