Coaches

MCKENNA KWAST

Director of CanSkate & Junior Academy

McKenna started skating at the Maple Ridge Skating Club at the age of 5. Over the course of her skating career she has achieved her Gold Skills, Silver Dance, Gold Artistic, Silver Freeskate, and competed in both Starskate and Synchronized Skating.  She became a certified Skate Canada Canskate Coach in 2016, and has since advanced her professional training to include her Regional Level 1 NCCP designation.  McKenna is also a certified Early Childhood Education Assistant.  She brings 5 years of coaching experience to the Club and is our Director of Canskate and Junior Academy.  With all the time she dedicates to skating, McKenna considers the Club her second home.  She has a natural love for kids and enjoys connecting with skaters to help them achieve their goals while also having fun.  McKenna’s goal is to push every skater to be the best they can be.

Breeann Derrick

Interim Director of Skating

Breeann began skating with the Maple Ridge Skating Club at the age of 9.  She competed in Starskate and has successfully completed her Gold Freeskate Elements, Silver Dances, and Silver Skills before deciding to become a certified Skate Canada Canskate coach in 2012.  Breeann is now a Regional Level 1 NCCP trained coach with 9 years of coaching experience.  She is currently competing her BA in Criminology with a Minor in Legal Studies, and is also a certified Early Childhood Education Assistant.  Breeann enjoys watching skaters grow and improve, and she is committed to helping kids feel comfortable and confident both on and off the ice.  Breeann brings a positive attitude to the ice that helps skaters achieve their goals and have fun, which makes her a great role model for the Club.  Breeann believes that skating is a great way to keep active, but also a place for skaters to have fun, make memories, and build lasting friendships.

Kate Boyes

CanSkate/Junior Academy Coach

Kate started Figure skating at MRSC at the age of 3. She has competed in the StarSkate and Artistic categories, as well as Synchronized Skating to which she attended Skate Canada’s National Championship for Synchronized Skating twice. This year, Kate and her team represent Canada at an international level.

Kate is working on completing her Gold Skills and has completed up to her Silver Dances. Right now, Kate is working on finishing her CanSkate certification and she is looking forward to working towards her Regional NCCP in the near future.

Kate is Currently in High school, but next year plans to attend Post Secondary working towards her Bachelors in Arts with plans to major In Psychology. Kate strives to provide a fun and safe environment for skaters to train while providing them with the support they need to grow as a hard working athlete. She enjoys helping skaters build their confidence both on and off the ice while challenging them to do their best and to meet their athletic goals. She believes that Figure Skating is a great way to build friendships and be part of a community while taking care of your physical and mental health.  Kate comes to skating with a positive attitude and hopes to pass that attitude on to future skaters.

Nevena A Cantoral

Nevena is our Ballet and Flexibility Instructor through our partnership with Connaught Skating Club

Specialty Dryland Coach

Nevena is a specialty dryland coach with the Connaught Skating Club, where she coaches skaters of all ages in ballet, flexibility, Pilates, and contemporary dance. Having grown up in Vancouver, Nevena studied at the Richmond Academy of Dance where she studied the Royal Academy and Russian Method Vaganova ballet techniques.

Throughout her competitive career, Nevena received numerous awards and accolades for her performances and competitions in ballet, contemporary, modern, jazz, and musical theatre. By 2008, Nevena’s professional dance career took her to New York, Chicago, and Europe where she had the privilege of working with world renowned choreographers and coaches. Following her competitive career, Nevena went on to study Kinesiology at UBC and became a SportMedBC representative.

Nevena’s coaching philosophy embodies the principles of sport psychology, anatomy, and physics of movement in order to help her skaters achieve the best possible results on the ice.