Mark O’Donnell became involved in speed skating when he registered his son, Matthew as a participant in the sport. At this time, Oakville’s program offered old, basic long trackstyle skates, and had no safety mats. Because of this, only limited speed skating techniques could be taught and learned—something which O’Donnell wanted to change.
At the start of the 1995 season, through discussions with other parents, O’Donnell formed the Oakville Speed Skating Club, and sat as its President. Under his influence, the club pursued—and received— more ice time, safety mats, and better skates. Skaters were also encouraged to enter competitions in Brampton, Cambridge, and Kitchener Waterloo, where they performed excellently. In 1995, the Canadian Special Olympics Committee endorsed the Oakville Speed Skating Club to include Special Olympics content in the on-ice training. O’Donnell was very passionate about this cause, and in 1997, volunteered to work at the speed skating event for the Special Olympics in Toronto. He is responsible for the training of Special Olympian Scott MacHattie, who created a film about his experience with the group.
In 2001, the Oakville Speed Skating Club became independent of the Parks and Recreation program, and initiated its own registration and administration. success. Club members also compete at different levels across Ontario, Canada, and the USA, and Oakville skaters are now participating in the elite development programs of Ontario and Canada. Through O’Donnell’s commitment, vision, and dedication, the Oakville Speed Skating Club, has evolved from a recreational outlet to a haven for provincially-ranked short track speed skaters. O’Donnell’s loyalty to our community is unparalleled, and has changed the face of our athletic offerings as a whole.
From there, it exploded in size: the Oakville Speed Skating Club nownumbers in excess of 160, an exponential increase from its initial 10 members. What’s more, in Ontario competitions, Oakville now leads all clubs in participation and
