Photo courtesy of Luu via Wikimedia Commons.
By Baya Jaiswal ’27
Staff Writer
Deanna Stellato-Dudek, an American pair figure skater, has set a new precedent in the ice skating rink. After retiring in 2001, the 40-year-old has become the oldest woman to win a World Figure Skating Championship, CNN reported. She competed with her skating partner, Maxime Deschamps, representing Canada at the 2024 World Figure Skating Championships.
Through her recent success, Stellato-Dudek hopes to inspire people who think it’s too late to fulfill their dreams and aspirations. After enduring numerous injuries in the past, this year, she competed against ice skaters half her age in the difficult pairs event. Stellato-Dudek surmounted these challenges and proved that it’s never too late to start again.
Most figure skaters frequently conclude their careers in their early 20s, which was precisely the path Stellato-Dudek followed. She enjoyed a remarkable junior career as a solo skater, clinching victory at the 1999-2000 international Junior Grand Prix Final and securing the silver medal at the 2000 World Junior Championships, CNN reported. Despite this initial success, her journey was marred by a series of injuries, including a fractured left ankle, a torn ligament in her right ankle and a significant hip injury. Consequently, she decided to retire in 2001 at the age of 17, CNN reported.
However, after retirement, a persistent sense of unfulfilled potential continued to haunt her. What if she had prematurely abandoned her passion? What if more achievements were awaiting her in the world of skating? Driven by these lingering doubts, at 30 years old, she decided to make a comeback to the competitive arena.
CNN reported that Deanna Stellato Dudek won two national bronze medals with her first skating partner, Nathan Bartholomay, a 2014 Olympian, but the partnership ended in 2019 due to Bartholomay’s injuries. Despite this setback, Deanna began a hunt for a potential partner. She went on to find Maxime Deschamps from Canada, who was eight years younger than her.
The Olympic Channel reported that Stellato-Dudek left her life in Chicago and relocated to Montreal to train alongside her new partner. This risk was worth it as now, against all odds, Stellato-Dudek and Deschamps have emerged as world champions at the ages of 40 and 32.
As the 2026 Winter Olympics approach, Stellato-Dudek hopes to break records at the age of 42. When Deanna initially moved to Canada, she and Deschamps discussed the possibility of competing in the 2026 Olympics. “We both said the 2026 Olympics” was the goal, she told Olympic Channel. “And not one day has [that] wavered.” Her skating partner, Maxime Deschamps, told CNN, “For her, it’s the Olympics every day.”