The story of Deanna Stellato-Dudek’s pursuit of an Olympic figure skating gold medal is, in many ways, an archetypal tale of athletic ambition.
Starting her journey at age five in Chicago, she harbored dreams of the Olympic Games. Her adolescence was a blur of early morning rink sessions and national competition preparations, overshadowing typical college pursuits. A severe hip injury at 17 seemingly brought her career to an abrupt end. Yet, against all odds, she staged a remarkable comeback and is now set to compete at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics this month.
This narrative, while inspiring, holds a unique twist: Ms. Stellato-Dudek is 42 years old.
The Olympics she initially envisioned competing in were the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City. Her break from the sport wasn’t a brief hiatus, but a profound 16-year absence during which she stepped entirely away from skating, coaching, or related work. Instead, she immersed herself in a new career as the director of aesthetics for a plastic surgeon.
Upon her return, she transitioned to pairs skating. In 2024, alongside her partner, Maxime Deschamps, she achieved a historic feat by winning the world championship, becoming the oldest woman ever to secure a world title in any figure skating discipline. Their impressive record also includes Canadian national championships in 2023, 2024, and 2025, in addition to a silver medal this year.
When they take to the ice in Milan on Sunday, representing Canada, Ms. Stellato-Dudek will once again be the oldest female competitor. Much like sports legends Tom Brady and LeBron James, she is actively challenging and expanding the perceived boundaries of athletic achievement in her field.
Image: Ms. Stellato-Dudek poses in the Oscar de la Renta skating dress she expects to wear for her long program. Each of its more than 200,000 glass beads was triple-knotted by hand. Credit: Nasuna Stuart-Ulin for The New York Times
Figure skating has traditionally been perceived as a sport for the young, agile, and light. For instance, Tara Lipinski and Alina Zagitova both clinched Olympic gold medals in singles skating at the tender age of 15. The widespread doping scandal involving the 15-year-old Russian skater Kamila Valieva during the 2022 Beijing Olympics eventually prompted the International Skating Union to raise the minimum age for competition to 17.
Amber Glenn, a prominent American singles skater and a strong contender for a gold medal, has called herself the “fun aunt” because at 26 she is much older than many of her peers. While pairs skaters generally tend to be older, only four female pairs gold medalists since 1956 have been in their thirties (all under 35). Ms. Stellato-Dudek mentioned that when social media trolls aim to be unkind, they often resort to calling her “Grandma Deanna.”
“I mean, I am a whole legal human being older than almost everybody else,” she remarked with a laugh.
This sentiment explains why her decision to return to skating was met with disbelief, labeled as “crazy” by her coach, Josée Picard, who herself emerged from retirement to guide Ms. Stellato-Dudek and Mr. Deschamps.
“Crazy,” echoed Ms. Stellato-Dudek’s mother, Ann Stellato. “Nobody expected her to persevere and to do what she has done. Nobody.”
Defying Society’s Expectations
“The age pendulum for me swings both ways,” Ms. Stellato-Dudek observed, having just concluded an intense four-hour practice session with Mr. Deschamps at their Montreal skating complex.
She was bundled in multiple layers: four tops, a thin puffer jacket, a neck warmer, and a head warmer. Her dark hair was neatly gathered in a topknot. Her skin, remarkably unlined, hinted at a previous professional life that included chemical peels and CoolSculpting. Standing at just five feet tall, she possesses the sculpted physique of a dedicated athlete, exuding the energetic vitality of an “Energizer bunny” rather than the typical delicate figure skating image.
“When I perform well, I receive more acclaim than my younger peers,” she explained. “After the World Championships, I was flooded with about 20,000 messages on Instagram. However, when our performance falters, I’m inundated with direct messages from trolls criticizing my body, my face, my hair, and claiming I’m not strong enough.”
She feels as though people are offended by her continued participation in the sport, or that they believe she’s seeking fame. “If I were chasing fame, I would have opted for a reality show,” she asserted. “‘Survivor’ would have been a far more straightforward path to celebrity than striving for an Olympic medal.”
Ms. Stellato-Dudek made the pivotal decision to return to skating in her early thirties. Her motivation stemmed from a desire to avoid future regrets, refusing to let societal expectations about the “right age to stop” deter her from pursuing a podium finish. She aimed to be a serious contender who just happened to be older, rather than a mere novelty act.
For six months, her routine involved waking at 4 a.m. for training before heading to her day job. Once she regained her triple jumps, she contacted her former coach, left her position at the plastic surgeon’s office, and embarked on a new journey in pairs skating. (As a singles skater, she had often been encouraged to consider pairs due to her ideal stature for lifts.)
“She was never a prodigy,” her mother affirmed. “She simply works incredibly hard. Even as a child, Deanna was drawn to anything slightly daring. She thrives on being thrown, on being airborne—all the dangerous elements.”
Image: Ms. Stellato-Dudek in 2000, when she won the Junior Grand Prix and was headed to the Olympics as a singles skater. Credit: via Deanna Stellato-Dudek
Image: Ms. Stellato-Dudek at the rink in Montreal where she and Mr. Deschamps practice. Credit: Nasuna Stuart-Ulin for The New York Times
Video: Ms. Stellato-Dudek and Mr. Deschamps practice the group 5 lasso lift, one of the hardest technical lifts in pairs skating. Video by Nasuna Stuart-Ulin
Initially, Ms. Stellato-Dudek’s first partner was based in Florida, prompting her relocation there. When he required surgery, she reached out to every coach she knew until one suggested Mr. Deschamps, located in Canada. At 34, Mr. Deschamps is also on the older side for a male figure skater, though his age falls within the normal range.
With their sights set on the 2026 Olympics, Ms. Stellato-Dudek and Mr. Deschamps understood they were working against the clock to establish their partnership. Nationalities became a crucial factor; it was improbable for Mr. Deschamps to secure American citizenship within their timeframe. Consequently, Ms. Stellato-Dudek applied for Canadian citizenship, which was granted in late 2024.
This proved to be a strategic decision. The current U.S. pairs champions, Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, will be unable to compete in Milan because Ms. Efimova’s American citizenship application is still pending.
Ms. Stellato-Dudek relocated to Montreal in mid-2019. She knew no one apart from her partner and coach, and speaking no French, she found herself isolated, particularly when Covid lockdowns soon followed. She didn’t truly forge friendships until three years into her residency. Although she had married during her hiatus from skating, she has previously mentioned “sacrificed a relationship” for her sport (she opted not to elaborate on her personal life). She does not have children.
Her current household includes Goldy, a half-Maltese, half-poodle, a gift from Mr. Deschamps and Ms. Picard for her 40th birthday. Goldy, complete with her own hat and coat, accompanies Ms. Stellato-Dudek to the rink. The dog is notably adept at standing on her hind legs and, much like her owner, can even execute a couple of spins.
Defying Age
In preparation for the Olympics, Ms. Stellato-Dudek and Mr. Deschamps maintained a rigorous schedule: five days a week on the ice, Sundays dedicated to gym workouts, and Saturdays for rest. Ms. Stellato-Dudek’s life revolved around skating and nurturing her physical resilience. Her daily routine began at 6 a.m. with an hour-long warm-up, followed by a three-hour recovery process each night, which included muscle rolling, cupping, compression pants, and red-light therapy.
Occasionally, she even incorporated a cold plunge. “Truly, I hate the cold plunge,” she admitted, explaining that her extensive hours at the rink meant she was “cold all the time.”
The extended warm-up and cool-down periods are a direct consequence of her age. “I need to invest significantly more in recovery to start each day at the same baseline as my younger counterparts,” she stated. “When I was a child, I did absolutely no post-skating recovery. Literally zero.”
Image: Ms. Stellato-Dudek warming up in the weight room before practice. On her one day off a week, she said, “I lay like a sloth on the couch.” Credit: Nasuna Stuart-Ulin for The New York Times
To maintain her muscle mass, she consumes 70 grams of protein daily and drinks half her body weight in water, following the Canada team nutritionist’s recommendations. At approximately 100 pounds, this means 50 ounces of water. “The diet and the water intake are some of the hardest things,” she confessed.
Her mornings begin with a collagen packet in her coffee, and beans are a staple in most of her meals. She typically adheres to an eating window that concludes by 3 p.m. with a meal she refers to as “linner.” While she avoids gluten, fried foods, dairy, and sugar, she allows herself one “cheat day” each month, when she might indulge in some chocolate.
She also takes numerous supplements—including vitamin D, vitamin C, and protein peptides—all meticulously checked for banned substances. Unlike professional sports stars like Tom Brady and LeBron James, who often have extensive support teams, Ms. Stellato-Dudek, as an amateur athlete, largely manages her regimen independently. She doesn’t have a personal chef or a physiotherapist on constant call. While Canadian Olympic athletes receive government funding, figure skating isn’t a high-paying sport. Consequently, Ms. Stellato-Dudek procures most of her equipment from Amazon.
However, being an older athlete comes with its own advantages. “Having experienced life—having loved, having lost—I can express those experiences on the ice,” she reflected. “A 20-year-old might not feel comfortable doing so.” She added that she has also cultivated a deep sense of patience.
This patience was tested significantly when, just a week before her planned flight to Milan, she suffered a head injury during training. For several days, her participation in the Olympics was uncertain, pending clearance from the Canadian Olympic Committee. Although they had to withdraw from the team competition on February 10, she and Mr. Deschamps ultimately received approval for the individual program.
The Olympic End Game
A week prior to her accident, Ms. Stellato-Dudek was observed at the Montreal rink, hands on her hips, mouth set in a tight line, struggling to catch her breath. She and Mr. Deschamps had been practicing a throw triple loop—a move where he tosses her outward, allowing her to complete three aerial spins before landing. She wasn’t satisfied with the execution; she wanted more height, more impact. Despite Ms. Picard’s suggestion to take a break, Ms. Stellato-Dudek insisted on attempting it again.
Video: Here they perform the throw triple loop. Video by Nasuna Stuart-Ulin
Since their world championship victory in 2024, Mr. Stellato-Dudek and Mr. Deschamps have experienced inconsistent results in competitions. Nevertheless, regardless of their final standings, Ms. Stellato-Dudek is poised to make history in Milan, not solely due to her age.
In 2025, she became the first woman to perform a backflip in her program since Surya Bonaly in 1998. At that time, such a move was illegal in competitive ice skating; it was only sanctioned by the International Skating Union for the 2024-25 season.
“It was her idea,” Mr. Deschamps recounted. “It took her almost a full year to convince me.” He admitted concerns about her blades and, given the backflip’s lack of scoring value, questioned whether the risk was justified.
“My thought process was, How can I make this product more alluring to the audience and to the judges?” Ms. Stellato-Dudek explained. “It’s like I’m trying to sell something in a business.”
Though she had practiced gymnastics as a child, she hadn’t executed a flip since she was 14. Her decision to reintroduce the trick to ice, making it assisted (launching off Mr. Deschamps’s hands), was a deliberate homage to Surya Bonaly’s legacy. It was also a powerful statement to inspire young girls and to pioneer a pairs version of the trick for potential adoption by others.
Image: In 2025, Ms. Stellato-Dudek became the first woman to perform an assisted backflip in competition since Surya Bonaly in 1998. “My initial idea was to jump off Maxime’s shoulders,” she said. Mr. Deschamps “vetoed that one.” Credit: Geoff Robins/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Image: The couple practice a triple twist lift at the skating facility. Pairs skating is particularly dangerous because of the lifts and throws. Credit: Nasuna Stuart-Ulin for The New York Times
Image: Ms. Stellato-Dudek in the Oscar de la Renta dress she plans to wear for her short program. Credit: Nasuna Stuart-Ulin for The New York Times
She will grace the ice wearing custom Oscar de la Renta skating dresses, another one of her innovative ideas. Historically, Vera Wang was the only designer regularly collaborating with skaters, dressing notable figures like Nathan Chen, Nancy Kerrigan, and Michelle Kwan. The Oscar de la Renta label had never before partnered with an athlete, but creative director Laura Kim shared, “We’re the same age, and when I heard her story, I thought, I can relate.”
The collection features a champagne-colored short program dress adorned with Art Deco beading, drawing inspiration from the label’s spring 2026 collection. For her long program, she’ll wear an asymmetric red gown, intricately embellished with over 200,000 hand-sewn glass beads, designed to complement her flamenco soundtrack. Ms. Stellato-Dudek hopes her choice of more high-fashion attire will spark a new trend of collaborations between fashion designers and figure skaters.
While all these achievements are commendable, they don’t diminish her desire to win, even in the face of her recent accident.
“I want to leave my mark on this sport,” Ms. Stellato-Dudek declared, “and I have to be wearing a medal around my neck to really get that happy ending.” In a worst-case scenario, she added, at least everyone is “watching me try.”
Mr. Deschamps and Ms. Picard have indicated they are considering retirement (or, in Ms. Picard’s case, re-retirement) after the Olympics. Ms. Stellato-Dudek acknowledged the appeal of such a prospect—“I haven’t had a margarita in 10 years,” she mused. “That would be a nice treat.” However, she remains undecided about her own future.
“That is my decision and my decision alone,” she asserted. “If I want to continue to the 2030 Olympics when I’m 46, that’s what I’m going to do. And nobody can tell me I can’t.”