Virtue and Moir lead star-studded group of inductees into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
Canada’s greatest figure-skating duo is now enshrined together forever.
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were among the inductees to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame who were honoured in Gatineau, Que., on Thursday.
Joining them as athlete inductees are former UFC fighter Georges St-Pierre, wheelchair basketball athlete Danielle Peers, Indigenous softball player Phyllis Bomberry, and curling’s Team Ferbey of Randy Ferbey, David Nedohin, Scott Pfeifer and Marcel Rocque. Indigenous lacrosse advocate Oren Lyons joins as a builder alongside Hiroshi Nakamura, a high performance judo coach.
In total, the newest class includes individual three athletes and two teams, in addition to a pair in the builders category, that have achieved great success in their sports and helped lead the way for future generations in Canadian sport.
Known for a chemistry that exploded through TV screens and beyond the ice, Virtue and Moir reflected on their time together.
“Our eyes would meet on the ice and it would take us to another world,” Moir said. “Our passion for skating, and for skating with each other, would ignite. And the feeling was way better than anyone — sorry to tell you this — than any spectator had ever thought they had witnessed.”
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Virtue added that Moir was her ideal partner.
“He is the best in every way,” she said. “More than that, he’s the kind of friend that always has the right thing to say. The kind of human who epitomizes generosity and kindness. And the kind of skating partner that builds you up to feel like you can conquer the world.”
Considered among the greatest ice dancing duos in the sport’s history, they join the Hall following a career which saw them win Olympic gold in the event at Vancouver 2010 and Pyeongchang 2018. After joining forces in 1997, the two developed a captivating and prolific partnership on the ice.
The team would go on to win eight national titles and three world championships together.
“It was about more than just results and what we created on the ice. It was about two young people using sport to try to become the best version of themselves for each other,” Moir said. “It was a truly beautiful journey.”
Following their thrilling gold medal in Pyeongchang, where the Canadians produced a spectacle of a free skate to edge their French rivals, Virtue and Moir announced their retirement from sport.
“We’re just so grateful,” Virtue said at the time. “How lucky are we really that we got to share all of this together and with all of you?”
St-Pierre, of St-Isidore, Que., is viewed by many as the greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time, having won UFC title in both the middleweight and welterweight divisions.
The 42-year-old retired in 2019 and was inducted to UFC’s Hall of Fame a year later. He said his journey started as a teenager when he watched the first-ever UFC event.
“It really inspired me and gave a sense to where I wanted to in life in terms of a career. Even though at the beginning it sounds crazy to most of my entourage, I had a lot of support. I’m alone in the octagon but I’m not alone in my preparation,” St-Pierre said.
Randy Ferbey and the “Ferbey Four” won three world titles and four national championships together, setting the Canadian curling standard for a half-decade.
“Being inducted is very special to us,” Ferbey said. “We played the game because we love it and we keep hearing stories of how many people followed us and appreciate what we did. If we could just encourage one person to follow in our footsteps, we would consider ourselves lucky.”
