The Athletes

Senior Men

Jeffrey Buttle
2006 Canadian champion

Jeffrey Buttle realized a dream when he won an Olympic medal, a bronze, at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy. The native of Smooth Rock Falls, Ont., earned a trip to the Games by capturing the Canadian title in Ottawa in January 2006. His victory in Ottawa was his second at the national championships. The two-time Canadian champion had to withdraw from his international assignments on the 2006 ISU Grand Prix Series circuit due to a mid-to-lower spine stress fracture, which was diagnosed in mid-August. Buttle has been focusing on getting back to good health and being ready for the national championships in Halifax and the 2007 ISU World Championships. Buttle, who currently resides in Barrie, Ont., splits his training time between the Mariposa School of Skating in Barrie and Lake Arrowhead, Calif. The former engineering student at the University of Toronto plans to complete his studies in the future.

Emanuel Sandhu
2006 Canadian silver medallist

Emanuel Sandhu won the bronze medal at this season’s Cup of China and was fifth at the Cup of Russia on the ISU Grand Prix Series circuit. The three-time Canadian champion will focus on regaining the national title in Halifax after finishing second in the past two years. Sandhu has combined many years of dance training, including 10 years at the prestigious National Ballet School of Canada, with his technically proficient skating. Sandhu is half Italian and half East Indian and is a recipient of the Indo-Canadian Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award and winner of YTV’s Youth Achievement Award for Canada. He sings, dances (hip-hop, ballet, jazz), speaks three languages (Italian, French and English) and would like to pursue a music recording career in the future. Sandhu has both the quadruple Salchow and quadruple toe loop in his repertoire and is working towards the quadruple loop and quadruple flip jumps in order to gain a world championship title.

Shawn Sawyer
2006 Canadian bronze medallist

The two-time Canadian bronze medallist spent part of December skating at several festivals and shows throughout the country after completing his two international assignments on this season’s ISU Grand Prix Series circuit. This is Shawn Sawyer’s second year on the Skate Canada national team. He won the Canadian Junior Men’s title in 2002 and the Canadian Novice Men’s title in 2000. In 2002, Sawyer was recognized by his home province in being named the recipient of Sport New Brunswick’s Male Athlete of the Year. Sawyer’s 2005-2006 season was highlighted by his trip to the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy, where he placed 12th. The native of Edmundston, N.B. also competed in his first world championships in Calgary in March 2006. One of Sawyer’s favourite pastimes is art and he especially enjoys painting.

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