Eden Donatelli

Eden excelled in her home environment and skated at two Olympic games, seven World Championships, Multiple International events and Canadian Championships. It was there that she met her husband, Julian, also a speed skater representing Great Britain, at some of the same events.

Eden's participation in the National Team program meant that she had to miss a great deal of high school. In the summer of grade 10, Eden completed English 11 and Algebra 11 by correspondence so that she would have two less courses to complete during the school year. In the summer of grade 11, she completed grade 12 English by correspondence and then moved to Montreal to train for the ’88 Olympic games. While in Montreal, Eden completed the rest of her grade 12 courses by correspondence and graduated with her class in 1988. Eden attended McGill University in 1988/89 and then moved back to BC to live and train. She took courses at the University of British Columbia and Fraser Valley College. In 1992, after marrying British Olympic Speed Skater Julian Green, Eden moved to Calgary. She was accepted into the Faculty of Education and made the decision to retire from skating in order to focus on her studies. Eden completed her Bachelor of Education at the University of Calgary in 1995. Also in 1995 Eden moved back to Mission, British Columbia and began teaching grade 1 at John Maclure Community School in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Eden completed a Post Baccalaureate Diploma in Curriculum and Instruction at Simon Fraser University in 1998. She also became a Reading Recovery Teacher in 1999. Eden received a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from SFU in 2000.

Eden excelled in speed skating at a time when no other BC female had qualified to the National Short Track Team. Eden was also the only female Anglophone on the Canadian team for many years. She regularly competed against Sylvie Daigle, Natalie Lambert, Susan Auch, Maryse and Annie Perrault, Isabelle Charest and Christine Boudrias. As a young Long Track skater Eden's main competition was Catriona LeMay (Doan).

Her sport was notwell known or well televised and as such she had little or no sponsorship to offset her costs. This meant that her family bore the brunt of her travelling, equipment, and training expenses, as well as those of her father/coach. Eden benefited from the support of her home community of Mission, as well as the Mission Racers Speed Skating Club. She also had many wonderful coaches: Clara Overend, Dennis Brain, Sandra Clements, Larry Lewin, and of course, her father, George Donatelli.

Feeling a need to share her experiences to children, Eden was part of the Athlete's Motivation Excellence Program 1988-1991. She also began coaching after retiring from competition in 1992. She currently coaches with her dad and her husband at three local clubs (Maple Ridge, Sardis and Langley). Aside from coaching six days a week, Eden presents regularly at Abbotsford District teaching conferences and has presented at teaching conferences in Vancouver and Victoria.

Many rules and laws have been re-thought and re-worded due to her exemplary achievements at such a young age, thus smoothing the difficult road ahead for future generations of young speed skaters. Her inspiring feats have encouraged many young girls and boys to take up the sport of short track speed skating and her coaching skills continue to help them reach their dreams.