Greater Sudbury’s Olympic gold medallist Tessa Bonhomme is ready to become the first ever female hockey player to join the CBC-TV competition known as “Battle of the Blades.”
Sudbury’s Tessa Bonhomme is the first female hockey player to take part in CBC’s Battle of the Blades. Supplied photo
“I’m absolutely ecstatic to be on the show,” Bonhomme said. “I’ve always said to myself that I would love to try that show out. Low and behold here I am.
“I’m definitely going to embrace my role as a figure skater and not take any easy paths. I want to be the best performer I can while I’m on the show.”
Bonhomme is a member of the Canadian National women’s hockey team and won a gold medal with the team at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
She will be paired with Olympic champion David Pelletier. Bonhomme has never figure skated before, but said she expects the experience to help her in hockey.
“Figure skaters are the best skaters in the world, and to be able to have one-on-one time with the best in the world will definitely help me with my skating,” she said. “I can’t wait to see the transformation.”
She said she has always respected the sport because her grandmother, Lorraine Bonhomme, “was such an avid fan and would always have us watch Curt Browning, who was her favorite, and talk about how great of skaters they were.”
“Its definitely mind-boggling seeing what he can do on the ice in real life, and to try and mimic what he makes look so easy is definitely an eye-opening experience,” she added.
The winning skaters from the show will donate $100,000 to the charity of their choice. The lineup of former NHL hockey players for the show includes: Bryan Berard, Boyd Devereaux, Brad May, Curtis Leschyshyn, Cale Hulse and Wade Belak.
The figure skaters inlcude: Elena Berezhnaya, Tanith Belbin, Marie-France Dubreuil, Anabelle Langlois and Violetta Afanasieva.
The show will be broadcast from the MasterCard Centre in Toronto and premiers Sept. 18.
-Posted by Heather Green-Oliver
