Signe Ronka (born April 23, 1988) is a Latvian Canadian former competitive figure skater. She won three medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series and competed at the 2003 World Junior Championships.
Personal life Ronka was born on April 23, 1988, in Riga, Latvia. She arrived in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at the age of three.
Career Ronka trained at the Granite Club in Toronto with coaches Ellen Burka and Marcus Christensen. In the 2001–02 season, she debuted on the ISU Junior Grand Prix series. She won the junior bronze medal at the 2002 Canadian Championships and the junior gold medal at the 2002 Triglav Trophy.
In the 2002–03 season, Ronka won a pair of medals at her JGP assignments — bronze in Courchevel and silver in Milan. Her results qualified her for the JGP Final in The Hague, Netherlands, where she finished seventh. She withdrew from the 2003 Canadian Championships due to a groin injury, having resumed full training in mid-January. She placed 16th at the 2003 World Junior Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
In 2004, Ronka won bronze at a JGP event in Belgrade. She ended her career with a 10th place finish at the 2006 Canadian Championships and then retired from elite competition. She went on to skate for the University of Toronto varsity team, placing 1st at the 2007 and 2008 OUA Finals. In 2008, she received the Competitive Athlete of the Year award from the University of Toronto. Injuries ultimately ended Ronka's competitive career.
Ronka skated for two seasons (2007 to 2008) at the Canada's Wonderland "Endless Summer" ice show. She has worked as a coach and choreographer at the East York Skating Club, the Granite Club in Toronto, Ontario, and the Richmond Training Centre in Richmond Hill, Ontario.
She has developed a sport specific fitness program called Figure Skater Bootcamp, which helps skaters prevent injuries and improve performance on the ice. She is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association and is a certified personal trainer.
Movies
Emma Flanders in the Disney movie Ice Princess. Mary-Kate Olsen's soccer double in the movie Switching Goals. Herself in documentary series Heartbeats by Breakthrough Films & Television Inc. (2005).
Awards "Own the Podium 2010" Funding Award (2006) Petro-Canada Olympic Torch Scholarship (2002–03, 2003–04) Granite Club Gold Crest Award (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006) and Outstanding Volunteer Award (2006) Bank of Montreal "Possibilities" Award (2002) Toller Cranston Bursary Award (2000, 2001, 2002) Elvis Stojko Bursary Underhill/Martini "Hopes & Dreams" University of Toronto Athlete of the Year (2007) 2002 Junior Female Athlete of the Year Finalist, 30th Annual Canadian Sport Awards
Programs Season Short program Free skating 2002–2003 Hungarian Dances No. 4 - 6 Giselle 2004–2005 Libertango Violin Concerto in E Minor Op. 64
Competitive results JGP: Junior Grand Prix
International Event 01–02 02–03 03–04 04–05 05–06 World Junior Champ. 16th Final 7th Bulgaria 9th Croatia 6th France 3rd Italy 7th 2nd Romania 7th Serbia 3rd Triglav Trophy 1st J National Canadian Champ. 3rd J WD 11th WD 10th WD = Withdrew Levels: V = Juvenile; P = Pre-novice; J = Junior
References
External links