Breaking the ice for Black skaters

Every Friday evening, the sound of laughter and the scrape of blades fills the rink as the London Ontario Kilimanjaro Ice Club opens its doors to Black youth and families for free hockey and skating lessons. What began as a small community effort has grown into a movement centered on access, representation, and empowerment.

Founded by Didier Tshibangu, the club was created to address persistent barriers. Many Black families face financial and cultural challenges entering ice sports. Equipment costs, ice time fees, and a lack of visible role models have limited participation for generations. Tshibangu wanted to change that.

“I grew up loving the ice, but I didn’t always see people who looked like me out there,” Tshibangu says. “Kilimanjaro Ice Club is about opening that door and keeping it open.”

Sessions combine structured hockey drills and beginner to advanced skating instruction. Volunteer coaches teach balance, edge work, puck control, and teamwork. Parents are encouraged to join their children on the ice, turning lessons into shared experiences.

“It’s not just about learning to skate,” Tshibangu explains. “It’s about building confidence. When a child realizes they can glide across the ice without fear, that confidence follows them into the classroom and into life.”

Meanwhile, in Montreal, Bryana Megan Petit Frère is on a mission to reshape figure skating through Briser La Glace, a program designed to open doors for Black athletes. The organization blends technical training with mentorship and cultural celebration, allowing young skaters to perform routines inspired by Black music, rhythms, and history.

“When our skaters perform to sounds that reflect their heritage, you see a different confidence,” Petit Frère says. “They’re not just skating, they’re telling their stories.”

Parents describe the transformation. Aisha Kamara notes that her son now races to the rink every Friday. Nadine Joseph says her daughter stands taller with pride after joining Briser La Glace. Volunteer coaches emphasize resilience, discipline, and leadership, showing participants how to fall and rise again both on and off the ice.

Both organizations see representation as key. By removing financial and cultural barriers, fostering welcoming environments, and highlighting role models, they are reshaping who belongs on the ice. Each stride, jump, and spin becomes part of a broader story of empowerment, community, and the breaking of barriers that have long kept Black youth from winter sports.

As blades carve across frozen surfaces in London and Montreal, a new generation of athletes is finding not just skill but belonging and the confidence to carry it beyond the rink.

  London