Newmarket’s three-time Canadian figure skating champ Gabrielle “Gabby” Daleman on Friday announced to her followers on social media that she is stepping back from training to focus on her mental health.
Skate Canada International that same day issued a media release saying Daleman, 20, has withdrawn from its upcoming Oct. 25 to 28 competition in Laval, QC, to “focus on her mental health”.
“I have taken a break from training to focus on my mental health. Thank you all for your love and support, means the world!” Daleman wrote Friday on her verified Instagram account, @gabby_daleman, to her 79,000 followers.
Fellow athlete Alysha Newman, a London, ON, track-and-field star who is the reigning 2018 Commomwealth Games champion in women’s pole vault, quickly responded to Daleman’s post with a comment consisting of three hearts and, “Thinking of you!”
Team Canada, with whom Daleman helped bring home figure-skating gold at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, noted its support with a single heart.
By this afternoon, the more than 430 comments on Daleman’s Instagram account overwhelmingly expressed support and encouragement for the Olympic Gold medallist’s decision to take care of herself, and to share that publicly.
“Mental health is as important as physical health,” Instagram follower @chanhiggins wrote today. “It’s very good to take time for yourself. You will come back stronger. We support you and we love you, Gabby!”
Follower @creidherudd wrote, “Our mental health should always be a priority. It truly influences everything else! Best decision you could have made. Wish you all the best.”
Daleman has not been active on her public social media accounts since her original post of Oct. 12.
Just this week, the Town of Newmarket released a two-minute video on its Twitter account that features Daleman helping to demonstrate how easy it is to vote online, as compared to one of her difficult skating jumps. It’s received more than 3,000 views to date.
Daleman trains with coaches Lee Barkell, Brian Orser, and Tracy Wilson at the Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club.
She could not be reached for comment at the time this article was published.
