Team Canada long track speed skater Maddison Pearman competes in the women's 1500m event the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games on Monday, February 07, 2022. Photo by Kevin Light/COC

By Alessia Proietti

March 3-4: Competition in Norway

“Enjoy the moment”: Ponoka’s Maddison Pearman’s transformational Olympic experience

Mar 1, 2022 | 5:26 PM

The 2022 Winter Olympics are over and Ponoka’s Maddison Pearman is already back on a plane to her next international competition.

“It was very overwhelming. I think that is by far the most word that I’ve used to describe everything in both good and obviously sometimes bad ways,” said Pearman. “It was an amazing experience and opportunity.”

The speed skating athlete made her Olympic debut this year in Beijing and with that, came a myriad of emotions and a transformational learning experience.

“You just get so insecure looking around at everyone there, thinking that everyone is going to be watching you,” she said describing the almost culture shock of the large stadium and abundance of cameras.

On top of the nerves, there were the added pressures of pandemic protocols during traveling, inability to have family present for support and being unable to leave the Olympic village to explore the foreign city.

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The athlete admitted she did not get the results she hoped for.

Competing in the Women’s 1500m on Feb. 7, she finished in 24^th place overall with a time of 1:59.89, 6.61 seconds behind gold medal winner, Ireen Wust of the Netherlands.

On Feb. 17, Pearman competed in the Women’s 1000m event, finishing with a time of 1:17.66, 4.47 seconds behind gold medal winner Miho Takagi, of Japan, earning 26th place overall.

Maddison Pearman skates in the women’s 1500m at the National Speed Skating Oval during the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China on February 7, 2022. (Photo: Dave Holland/Canadian Sport Institute Calgary)

But it was one of her teammates that taught Pearman a valuable lesson; one she describes as a shift in her focus and mental health.

“You’re only here for three weeks. Try to enjoy the moment, smile and have just a good time because regardless of your results, people are going to be proud and those results don’t define you,” she said.

Realizing this, Pearman states she started to skate better and feel more comfortable living in the moment as one year ago, she did not foresee even being on the ice.

“There were many times over the years that I thought about retiring,” said the athlete. “It was all very much a good experience and an opportunity to say ‘I am good enough to make it’.”

Apart from the Olympic closing ceremony, she says stepping onto the ice was one of her most memorable moments.

“Not a lot of people get the opportunity to step on the line and to compete. Hearing my name being called and seeing all the Olympic rings around was probably one of the most proudest moments that I had,” she said.

Pearman admits watching some of her Canadian colleagues win a medal, like Laurent Dubreuil from the men’s speed skating, has motivated her to return to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy in hopes to win her own.

Spending a brief period home in Calgary with a visit from her parents and boyfriend, Pearman took the time to soak it all in and process the fact of now being an Olympian.

And right now, Pearman is flying back over international waters to Norway, where she will be competing in the 2022 ISU World Speed Skating Championships on March 3 and 4 in the sprint category.

Upon her return March 8, she will be heading back home to Ponoka and Red Deer to visit family and friends.

“It’s sometimes hard to put into words how much the community has just got behind me,” said Pearman.

“I can’t wait to come home and share my experience with everyone and hopefully inspire the next Olympian.”