Meet Our Coaches!
Denise Harris
Denise grew up skating with the Woodville Skating club until the age of eight-teen. She attended Seneca College for two years and graduated from their figure skating technique coaching program. She began her coaching career in 1992 with the Cannington Figure Skating Club and returned to Woodville’s Club in 1997. Denise is a level 2 certified coach, with her level 3 theory and technical. She is also a certified power skating instructor.
Throughout her coaching career, Denise has coached numerous skaters through their gold tests, and has had some skaters qualify and win provincials at the STARSkate Level. Her favourite thing about being a coach is watching skaters achieve what they did not think they could, as well as the great friendships and bonds that she is able to create with her skaters and their families. She also enjoys seeing friendships develop on the ice, and watching each skater grow as individuals.
Beth Carruth Disher
Beth grew up skating in Fenelon Falls and went on to train at the Durham Region Skating Academy and Ice Dance Elite school in Scarborough during her competitive years. Some highlights of her skating career include completing her Gold free skate, skills, and dance tests and competing at the Pre-Novice level in ladies singles and Novice level in ice dance. After that, she continued skating with Brock University’s varsity skating team where she was an OUA Allstar and Captain of the team. It was at this time that she completed her coaching certification and began teaching in St. Catherine’s.
Although she has a 5-year degree in Business Admin and has worked in the financial, HR, and industrial sectors, she has happily decided to follow her dreams of coaching full-time while balancing her family life. Beth has been coaching for 10 years and is level 2 trained. She recently moved to Lindsay with her husband, Jeff and two children; Jacob and Charlotte.
For Beth, it is a privilege to work with children and youth, to teach them to skate and to watch them grow and improve. She cherishes the relationships and sense of community, unique to skating clubs. Coaching is her passion and she is very grateful to have the opportunity to do what she loves.
Arlene Matthews
Arlene is no stranger to our club. She coached from 1986 until 2000 with Woodville. She coached many of our Alumni through their gold tests and many successful competitions. We were thrilled to welcome her back to the club in 2020. You can find Arlene out on the ice during all of our programs.
Mackenzie O'Grady
Mackenzie started skating at the age of 4 and has been a part of the Woodville club for the past 5 years. She instantly fell in love with the sport and over the years has skated with a few different clubs. Her continual love of skating has lead her to recently take the Canskate coaching course to become a certified coach.
Mackenzie is a triple Gold skater who worked hard to earn her Gold tests in Dance, Skills and Interpertive. She has competed 3 times at the provincial championships, placing 3rd in Ontario at her level in her first year of qualifying.
Mackenzie is still currently skating while she is taking a year off of school before she attends Guelph University in September of 2023 where she will study to earn a Bachelor of Science Degree.
Mackenzie loves helping and encouraging skaters of all ages and she looks forward to stepping on to the ice with them every session.
Kathryn Jackson
Kathryn started skating at the age of 3 following in her mother's footsteps. She has been part of the Woodville Skating Club ever since.
She is a double gold skater who completed her gold skills at the age of 12 and more recently completed her gold artistic.
Kathryn is currently still competing in star 7 and star 8 and has qualified twice for provincials in star 6 and once in star 7.
Throughout her skating career, Kathryn found a passion for coaching when she began helping as a PA on the CanSkate session at a young age. She loves working with all ages, especially kids, and plans on taking her coaching to the next level by completing her regional course.
Kathryn is a grade 11 student at Fenelon Falls Secondary School and plans on attending medical school for a bachelor of health science after she graduates high school.