Renee Bissonnette has been skating since she was 3 years old. Currently a junior at Hillsborough High School, her passion for skating has led her through years of competition and numerous medals and trophies.
An accomplished skater, Bissonnette trains 6-8 hours a week at Princeton Sports Center during the school year and heads off to Ontario to train at the Mariposa Training Center on breaks. She has gone one step further than most skaters she has spread her enthusiasm to encourage others to try skating.
President and founder of the Hillsborough High School Figure Skating Club, Bissonnette leads her group on both recreational skating outings and high school competitions, with more than 40 other high schools competing. She invites anyone interested in trying skating to join. The Hillsborough High School Figure Skating Team is open for anyone interested in competing in figure skating, from current competitors to beginner level skaters.
”I’m more than happy to help interested skaters get started skating with group lessons. It’s never too late to discover your passion in life, so if ice skating is something you’ve always loved doing, why not start competing,” Bissonnette said.
This year, Bissonnette is also the president of the Hillsborough Township skating club, aimed at encouraging younger children to explore the joys of skating. Ice Skating is both fun and a great form of exercise. She hopes that others will enjoy skating as much as she has.
”Throughout my thirteen years of skating I have learned more than just jumps, spins and footwork sequences,” Bissonnette said. “I have learned dedication, I have learned poise, I have learned discipline, and I’ve learned that when you step on the ice after a bad day, all of your problems seems to melt away.”
Bissonnette spends every Saturday at Princeton Sports Center working with young children as a junior coach. She encourages everyone to sign their children up for skating lessons.
”They might discover it’s something that they really love and it could change their lives. For me, skating has made me the person I am today,” she said.
Bissonnette plans on competing after graduating from high school, as she would like to continue testing and coaching for as long her heart is in the sport, “which seems like it will be forever.”
Anyone interested in joining the Hillsborough Skating Club and/or learning how to skate can contact Bissonnette at reneebissonnette@gmail.com
