Cole Stanbra is a name already well known to many Castlegar residents. Last week the professional figure skater was honoured with a place on the Wall of Fame at the Castlegar and District Community Complex.
“I am very honoured and I just want to say thank you to Castlegar for always supporting me and to my family and friends,” said Stanbra at the unveiling ceremony.
Stanbra's photo will take its place next to those of Steve Junker, Travis Green, Darcy Martini, Dane Jackson, Shawn Horcoff and other Castlegar natives who have made the cut into the realm of professional athletics. Manager of Recreation at the Complex, Jim Crockett, shared the purpose of the Wall of Fame, “Our wall of fame is a real important feature for our community because it gives us an opportunity to celebrate the achievements our athletes.”
Stanbra was successful in many competitions at the regional, provincial and national levels before being recruited in 2008 by Willy Bietek Productions to perform as a principal soloist of international cruise ships. Since then he has been cruising the seas, performing four shows a week on various ships in the Royal Caribbean line. In October Stanbra starts a new route that will sail out of Singapore and travel to South Korea and Thailand. Performances are on sea days, so he has enjoyed exploring many ports of call during his travels.
The text on the plaque sums up Stanbra's hard work and reward, “Starting from Castlegar with his never-ending dedication, enthusiasm and determination, Cole has reached for the stars and is living and skating his dream.”