Alyson Charles

Biography

Alyson Charles has been representing Canada internationally since competing at her first of four ISU World Junior Championships in 2015. After narrow misses with the women’s relay in 2015 and 2017, they finally reached the podium at the 2018 Junior Worlds, winning the gold medal. 

Charles joined the World Cup circuit for the 2018-19 season. In her very first event in Calgary, she won her first World Cup medals, earning two 500m bronzes as well as a bronze with the 3000m relay. The next week she won her first World Cup race, taking 1000m gold in Salt Lake City. She later added a 1000m bronze in Turin, ranking her third in the distance for the season. She capped the year by making her debut at the ISU World Championships where she won a bronze medal with the 3000m relay. 

In 2019-20, Charles won five World Cup medals with the women’s 3000m relay team, including a gold in Shanghai. At the inaugural Four Continents Championships in Montreal, she won silver medals in the 500m and 3000m relay. 

Charles competed at the 2021 ISU World Championships, which because of the COVID-19 pandemic was the only international short track event that Canadian skaters entered in what would have been the 2020-21 season. She was part of an eighth-place finish with the 3000m relay. Returning to the World Cup circuit in the fall of 2021, Charles won a silver medal with the 3000m relay team in Debrecen. 

Charles made her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022 where she was part of a fourth-place finish with the 3000m relay and was a B finalist in the 500m. She capped her season at the world championships in Montreal where she won silver with the 3000m relay and just missed the podium in the 500m, finishing fourth.

A Little More About Alyson

Getting into the Sport: Started speed skating at age 5 and began competing about a year later… With her dad acting as chauffeur, began skating with her four cousins on Sunday mornings and then changing clothes in the car afterwards to go to church… Appreciates that short track speed skating requires mastering many different skills and that there are individual and team aspects… Outside Interests: Ambassador for Fast and Female… Would like to pursue a career in finance and management… Attends school part time… Enjoys reading, watching TV series, eating what she wants in the off-season (especially desserts)… Odds and Ends: Role models include short track Olympians Kalyna Roberge and Marc Gagnon as well as Naomi Osaka because she has not been afraid to take a stand on subjects that might be controversial and remains humble and down to earth despite her success… Favourite quotes: ¨I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.¨ (Philippians 4:13) / “Coming out of your comfort zone is tough in the beginning, chaotic in the middle, and awesome in the end…because in the end, it shows you a whole new world.” – Manoj Arora… Always eats a pasta dinner the night before a race to get lots of carbs…