Gold Rush Continues for National Champion Skater Joy Mason

Gold Rush Continues For National Champion Skater Joy Mason

Mentor athlete, Joy Mason, has returned home from the 2015 USA Roller Sports National Championships in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a gold medal for her excellent performance in Freshman ‘A’ Figures. She is now a four-time national champion!

Joy, a fifteen year old sophomore at Mentor High School, has been skating since age four. She was recently presented with the prestigious 2014 Ohio ‘A’ Skater of the Year Award at the Ohio Figure Roller Skating banquet. This award is voted on by Ohio skating coaches and is based on medals earned and dedication to the sport of competitive roller skating. Level ‘A’ is the highest level and it is for elite skaters who are extremely proficient at their sport.

Capturing the gold medal is quite an accomplishment when competing against the best thirteen to fifteen year old skaters in the USA in the Freshman ‘A’ division. To qualify for this national competition, Joy first competed in the five state regional contest in Lombard, Illinois, where she earned two gold medals.

It takes commitment and determination to put in the necessary training to compete at the national level. Joy skates for the Mentor Skateland Artistic Skating Club in Mentor on the Lake, Ohio. She trains year round, five to seven days a week, with Elite, Hall of Fame Coach Lou Pannunzio. Lou has been coaching for over fifty years, and he has produced numerous national and world champions. This year Mentor Skateland is 105 years old, and we are lucky to have this wonderful roller rink, and a coach of Lou’s caliber, in our community. Joy would like to encourage everyone to come out to skate, or join her in training for competition. It’s fun for all ages and exercise in disguise!

Joy has earned The President’s Physical Fitness Platinum Award, and she has almost accumulated enough hours to earn it again! She has appeared on television, in newspapers, and in magazines to promote competitive roller skating. She received Certificates of Recognition from the City of Mentor and from the Board of Lake County Commissioners for her skating achievements and community service. Both the General Assembly of The State of Ohio House of Representatives, and The State of Ohio Senate, have congratulated her on her Skater of the Year Award and on “her skating talent, competitive spirit, and on her highest ideals of good sportsmanship.” They called her “a truly exceptional athlete.” The Lake County Captains have inducted Joy onto their Wall of Champions in Classic Park stadium.

Along with her skating, Joy is an honors student with a 4.1 GPA. She plays the cello in the Mentor High School symphony orchestra, and she participates in several school clubs, including Student Government, Future Leaders, Model UN, and HOSA (Future Health Professionals). Joy was chosen to be a member of the Principal’s Advisory Board. She is also a Senior Girl Scout and has earned a black belt in karate from Family Karate in Mentor. Joy is a serious athlete and a serious student, and she puts her heart into everything she does.

Helping her community is important to Joy, and she is currently spending many happy hours volunteering at Tripoint Medical Center. Joy plans a medical career as a surgeon in her future. She has earned The President’s Volunteer Service Award and the Prudential Spirit of Community Certificate of Excellence. Joy has worked with the Lake Humane Society, volunteered at Mentor Recreation summer camp, and she helps as a DJ and snack bar attendant at Mentor Skateland.

Joy’s family supports her in her efforts wholeheartedly by traveling to local and out of state competitions and by spending innumerable hours at the rink for practice sessions. They know that her hard work and perseverance make her one of the nation’s top athletes in roller sports, and they are very proud of her accomplishments.

Joy is extremely honored to receive these distinguished awards and will continue her pursuit of skating excellence. She is looking forward to next year’s competitions. Her determination and drive to succeed will serve her well in the future. Her next goal is to qualify to represent Team USA at the roller sports world championships. So, if you are looking for Joy Mason, she is probably at the rink … practicing. Come join her at Mentor Skateland, and take some lessons. You, too, can be a champion!

Debbie Phillips, manager of Mentor Skateland

www.mentorskateland.com