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| Barrie Pair Takes Junior Pairs Gold |
| Published on June 25, 2008 |  
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Monica Pisotta and Michael Stewart
June 25, 2008
Article by J. Barry Mittan
 The 2008 Canadian junior pairs champions were Monica Pisotta, 17 in May, and Michael Stewart, 21 in March. The duo won pre-novice pairs in 2006 and placed fourth in junior pairs in 2007. They finished eighth at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Bulgaria at the end of the season.
Pisotta started her athletic career in ballet when she was three, continuing in the genre until she was 14. "My mother put me in skating when I was eight and I liked skating better," she said. She landed her first triple salchow when she was 14 and is now working on her triple loop. Pisotta placed 12th in junior ladies at the Eastern Challenge last season.
"I also started doing pairs at 14," Pisotta noted. "I always wanted to do pairs from when I saw Jamie Sale and David Pelletier on television when I first started skating. Pairs is more of a challenge."
Stewart started skating when he was five. "My mom put me into it to improve my skating skills," he said. "She said once I got my back crossovers that I could go into hockey. I played until I was 14 or 15, but then I had to choose one or the other. I got up to AAA level and played with the Mississauga Senators and the Toronto Marlies. I played defense. That's where my skating skills really helped."
"I decided that skating was more of a challenge," he continued. "So I concentrated on skating after I was 14. I landed my double axel when I was 14 and my first triple salchow when I was 16. I got to about fifth in juniors at Sectionals, but quit when I was 18. That's when I started doing pairs. I like working as a team."
"We started in December 2004," Pisotta added. "Neither of us had done pairs before but our old coaches matched us up. I never had to be on a team before. We trained with Kim Hanford the first year, then with Lenny Faustino. We started working with Lee Barkell in the spring of 2006 after Nationals."
Pisotta and Stewart train in Barrie, Ontario with Barkell, Shane Dennison, and Jacinthe Lariviere. They skate for three hours a day, five days a week and do off ice training for an hour and a half three or four days a week. Stewart also cycles, while Pisotta runs and does yoga.
 Kelly Johnson choreographed the couple's 2007-08 programs, both of which were new. They used "Fire on Ice" by Mortazan for their short program and "Nessum Dorma" from Turandot by Giaccomo Puccini for the long. "I wanted something I hadn't heard before for the short," Stewart stated. "It was different and new. For the long, we just liked the music."
Pisotta prefers to skate to Latin or classical music, while Stewart likes "Whatever she likes, but I'm better at classical." They usually change both programs every season. "I get bored having the same music for two years," Stewart said.
For a show program, the couple used "My Heart Will Go On" by Andre Rieux, not the version from the "Titanic" soundtrack. Off ice, she listens to all kinds of music, but "more mainstream, not country." He listens to anything and lists "Hands Up for Detroit" as his favorite song. He can also play the trumpet.
Off ice, she enjoys hanging out with friends, shopping and going to chick flicks and scary movies. He likes to play different kinds of sports with his friends, especially baseball and soccer.
Stewart is in his first year studying part time at the University of Toronto. "I'm taking one or two courses a semester in physical education and health," he said. "I want to be a physiotherapist or an athletic trainer." Pisotta is in the eleventh grade at Innisdale High School, taking courses to see what she likes best. She likes physics and biology but isn't sure of a future career.
The couple included side-by-side double axels and a throw triple toe loop in their programs last season. In their long, they tried throw triple toe and triple salchow, a double lutz twist, a side-by-side double flip-double toe combination and side-by-side double axels. "I love doing jumps and throws," Pisotta said, while Stewart prefers lifts and twists. |
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