Chance McKenna
Pairs - Great Britain

Full name: Cedric Laurence "Chance" McKenna Division: pairs, eligible (with Emilia Watson) Representing: Great Britain Hometown: Whitby, Yorkshire, England Coach: Tom Ashdown Choreographer: Caelan O'Connor Best skating element: Chance's skills are very well-rounded. He is good in all aspects of pairs skating, but in his own opinion, presentation and throws are his best elements. Birthdate: October 11, 1977 Height: 6' 2" Hair color: brown Eye color: hazel Physical description: Chance is handsome, tall for a figure skater and very muscular, with beautiful soft eyes. Family: father, Thomas (bank manager); mother, Ruth (homemaker); triplet brothers, Parris and Basil aka "Baz" (both hockey players). Personality: Chance is outgoing and kind, with simple tastes and an affable charm. He likes to hang out with other guys, but he equally enjoys friendships with women, whom he treats with deep respect and fondness. There's a strong romantic streak in him, but he hasn't met the right girl to bring out that side of him yet. The only thing that ever troubles him is his occasional memory lapses. Hobbies/interests: As the brother of hockey players, Chance is naturally into hockey. He does a lot of jogging and working out. He is a talented artist, preferring pencil sketches, and will often sketch scenes of the rink at competitions or practice. Although he doesn't gamble, he is fascinated with luck and odds on an intellectual level. He plays occasional billiards, usually with Eric Lansing. Personal history: Chance spent his entire youth defying the odds. Born as the smallest of a set of triplet boys, it was feared he might not survive his first few days, but he lived and grew to be a healthy child. Their parents started the three boys in hockey at an early age; they were all good, but Chance was an especially talented player. Then, at age thirteen, Chance suffered a skull fracture and brain injury in a horrific accident during a game. He spent eight days in a coma and nearly died twice, but pulled through once again to make an impressive recovery. He was left with no memory of the accident itself, and to this day, he goes blank at times on memories of his childhood before the accident. The experience also left him with an intense fear of going back on the ice. Because hockey meant so much to his brothers, he resolved to conquer that fear--but since he couldn't even look at a hockey stick, he decided to ease back onto the ice with figure skating lessons. Chance proved to be a natural, and found that he loved figure skating even more than he had once loved hockey. He began skating pairs on the advice of his instructor, who thought it would best suit his height and strong build, and artistry on ice soon became his passion. Partnered with an older girl named Moira Callan, Chance began competing on the senior level. They reached British Nationals in 2001 and 2002, placing seventh and then fourth, but Moira developed a chronic knee injury that put them out of action prior to the 02-03 season. Finally, they faced the fact that Moira could not continue skating. Chance understood and gave her his support as she made the choice to retire. They parted as friends, and he began the search for a new partner. That summer, Chance heard that his acquaintance and former competitive rival Emilia Watson was without a partner. He contacted her and suggested they meet to consider skating together. They took an immediate liking to one another, and had soon teamed up. Anything else: Whatever you do, don't call him Cedric. Although it took several years, Chance recovered from his bad association with hockey. Since both of his brothers are professional players, he has become a devoted fan of the sport, and has even been known to play a game now and then with the other guys around the rink. At Skate Canada in 2001, Chance made the acquaintance of Eric Lansing. They are now friends, and sometimes play billiards together at the Lansing home.

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