Barbara Berezowski

Canadian Barbara Berezowski first rose to national prominence at the 1971 Junior Canadian Figure Skating Championships, capturing the gold medal in the ice dancing event with partner David Porter. She entered the senior division the following year, capturing silver in the ice dancing competition and gold at the 1972 Lake Placid Invitation Championships. She continued her streak of silver medals at the national championships through 1974, making two appearances at the World Championships in 1973 and 1974 and finishing 15th both times. 1975 was a pivotal year for Berezowski: in addition to finally capturing a gold medal at the Canadian National Championships, she moved up to 9th at the World Championships and was crowned “Miss Toronto”, an honour that was not unprecedented, as she had twice been voted “Miss Charm on Ice” at the Moscow Invitational Championships. The following year she was once again Canadian National Champion, finished seventh at the World Championships, and competed in the very first ice dancing event at the 1976 Winter Olympics, finishing 10th. She also continued her success as a beauty queen, finishing third runner-up in that year’s “Miss Canada” competition and being named “Miss Olympics” in a German newspaper poll of readers and journalists.

Berezowski and Porter turned professional following the Olympics and toured with Toller Cranston’s “The Ice Show” in addition to appearing on CTV Television Network’s “Stars on Ice” program. She also reached the peak of her beauty pageant career after being named 1976’s first runner-up to the title of “Miss Canada International”. The two were the World Professional Ice Dancing Champions in 1977 and then began a two-year tour with the Ice Follies in the United States. Since the mid-1970s she has worked as an inspirational speaker and, from 1994 through 2008, she served as the Founding Chairperson on the Board of Governors of the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame, into which she was inducted in 1999 as an athlete. She was married to semi-professional baseball player John Ivan until his death in January 2000.