Page 24 - Real Style June 2018

Tessa Virtue
preparation, as well as open lines of communication, were critical. We felt tremendous support from Canadians, and while we always want to make our country proud, we knew that by giving it our all – and inviting everyone along on our journey – we would do just that.
RS: What do you think is the future of this sport?
TV: This country has such depth in skating – of course, it’s part of our DNA as Canadians! While there will be a shift as the next generation takes over, I have no doubt that many teams will rise to the occasion. Some of the up-and-comers even train in Mon- treal with our coaching team. Emmy \[Bronsard\] and Aissa \[Bouaraguia\] are a fantastic new duo that will be shin- ing brightly on the world’s stage in no time! Scott always says that he can’t wait for others to break our records, because it will have meant that we did our job of inspiring other dancers.
RS: You’ve been exposed to Ameri- can audiences more this time around. What do you think is the difference between American and Canadian audiences?
TV: The international support we re- ceived during and following the 2018 Games was particularly astonishing. Canadians have been part of our com- petitive pursuit for two decades now, but to have new audiences and a broad- er reach can only be good for our sport.
Any chance we get to bring attention to figure skating and gain some recog- nition for ice dance, we’re pleased! As for the biggest difference between Ca- nadian and American audiences – the former has heard us answer the dating questions for many more years.
RS: You are representing a lot of brands and it’s very exciting. What’s next for you?
TV: It’s an exciting time to tackle new projects – business-wise as well as on the ice. As amateur athletes, the sin- gular focus of the Games required us to say “no” to almost everything. It’s refreshing to change that narrative, and thrilling to give back to the skating world in a different way. We’ll be liv- ing out of suitcases for a while as we perform in shows around the world. I plan on finishing up my psychology degree, and hope to pursue an MBA at some point down the road!
RS: Now that you are finished with competitive skating, where do you see your life in five years? What else you would like to try?
TV: I have a sense that in five years, I’ll be pursuing (or will have pur- sued) something very entrepreneurial. I’d love to have my own business of sorts, though what shape that will take I’m not yet sure. Somehow I believe I’ll be involved in fashion, and in my “dream future,” there’s a lot of travel happening.
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