Burlington has a long and notable sports history that includes many outstanding athletes, coaches, officials, media, and volunteers. The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame (BSHOF) is dedicated to identifying and honouring the individuals who have created this rich tradition. This year, the BSHOF is celebrating its 15th year and is proud to be inducting four new honourees at the 2023 induction ceremony on Tuesday, May 30 at the Burlington Golf and Country Club.
Our next inductee is Shelley Simonton-Barnett, being inducted into the builder’s category for her passion and direction of the NEXXICE Synchronized Skating program.
All of our inductees are passionate people who give back to their community-building sports programs, and Shelley is no exception. Shelley began as an athlete who loved the excitement of skating. She started skating at the age of three and loved it from the first time her skates hit the ice. She combined the parallel activities of figure skating and ballet/dance in her early years. She skated competitively when she was young in Chatham, Ontario, eventually competing on the national level in singles figure skating, including skating professionally in Disney On Ice and Stars On Ice.
Having been involved in an ice show as an athlete, Shelley was asked to coach a synchronized skating team in Windsor. The people in Windsor assumed an “ice show professional” would be able to choreograph movements for 24 skaters, but in reality, there is very little relationship between the two disciplines. Shelley had a steep learning curve because of the intricacies of coordinating the movements of all the skaters collectively; she quickly realized how challenging it really was. She became intrigued by the creativity involved, loved the team atmosphere and environment, and was hooked.
Shelley is a founder and coach of Burlington’s NEXXICE Synchronized Skating team, which began in 2000. Her accomplishments are impressive. To Shelley, the awards and championships are nice, but it is the professional development and success of the NEXXICE program over the years that are dear to her heart.
She is impressed with the development of synchronized skating on the world stage as a potential Olympic discipline. She has seen the growth of the sport through innovation and a willingness to try new things, expanding the boundaries of creativity and athleticism.
With all of her incredible success, Shelley shares the accolades with her colleagues. By 2010, NEXXICE was attracting skaters from all over the world! After winning the 2009 World Championships, skaters the world over aspired to learn the style of skating influenced by the brilliant coach Anne Schelter, NEXXICE coach and founder of the world-renowned system Annie’s Edges.
Those accomplishments mentioned earlier? Shelley has guided NEXXICE in winning 19 medals at the Canadian championships, including 13 golds. At the worlds, NEXXICE achieved becoming eight-time medalists, including being crowned world champions in 2009 and 2015. NEXXICE is currently ranked 4th in the world.
A true builder Burlington can be proud of. Shelley is proud to travel the world representing the Burlington Skating Centre and the City of Burlington — and especially while representing Canada at the worlds held in Hamilton in 2015 and 2022. Thousands of family and friends created a sea of red and white: memories that this builder will cherish for life.
Shelley will be inducted into the Burlington Sports Hall of Fame alongside Dr. Marnix Heersink, Brady Heslip, and Kate Psota at next week’s induction ceremony. The emcee for the evening will be Steve Foxcroft. Tickets are $60, with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. There will be a cocktail social from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., with the official induction ceremony starting at 7:00 p.m. There will be a cash bar and hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the evening. For tickets, contact Wayne Heslop at Wayne.Heslop@cogeco.ca or at 905-520-8922. Join in to celebrate the 2023 Burlington Sports Hall of Fame inductees!
