'Pretty amazing' P.E.I. figure skater has been a role model for others

Figure skater Daisy Li will be among those representing P.E.I. at the upcoming Canada Games in her home province, making history for the Island's Chinese community. 

"When she was little, we let her to try a lot of different kind of activities such as skiing, swimming, gymnastic, dance, ballet," said her mom, Yun Zhang.

"She made the decision herself, once she tried all the sports. She decided to keep on skating…. She chose this sport."

In 2016, figure skating in Charlottetown experienced a boom in enrolment, thanks to families who had recently moved to the Island from China. Numbers at the Charlottetown Skating Club doubled over the year before, and about 65 per cent of members were new immigrants from China, including Daisy. 

Her family had moved to P.E.I. in the fall of 2014, and Daisy joined the CanSkate program soon after.

She has spent the last four years training off Island during the summer, for three years in Halifax and this past summer in Toronto.

Zhang said she and her husband are proud to have 12-year-old Daisy on Team P.E.I.

"We love P.E.I.," Zhang said. "My daughter's dream was to represent P.E.I. so we are happy her dream become reality.

"She loves every competitions. She enjoys that moment, she can go on the ice and all the people focus on her. So I think it's the passion."

Brenley Bissett will also represent P.E.I. in figure skating during Week 2 of the Games, competing at the new arena in North Rustico.

Daisy Li told CBC she has been working hard to get better at her chosen sport. 

"I think it's just amazing that I've made it so far in this sport. And I just love this sport, and I'm really excited to be representing P.E.I.," she said.

"I've been working on improving in this sport for a really long