HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-04-19, Page 11THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018. PAGE 11.
Sawchuk, Cook named Dancing with the Stars pair
Cutting a rug
Les Cook and Julie Sawchuk are one of seven couples who
will be taking part in this fall's Dancing with the Stars
fundraiser to benefit Victim Services of Huron County. (Photo
courtesy of Devin Sturgeon)
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Veteran Les Cook and newcomer
Julie Sawchuk are preparing to take
part in this fall's Dancing with the
Stars fundraiser for Victim Services
of Huron County and it has not
always been easy.
Cook, who has been part of the
event for years, since he first was
one of the "stars" and then returned
to be one of the professionals, says
that dancing with Sawchuk, who is
in a wheelchair, has been hard for
him to wrap his head around.
While Sawchuk has proven to be a
very quick study, for Cook, he says it
has almost been like learning to
dance all over again.
"She's doing great. She's a
workhorse," Cook said of Sawchuk.
Because her injury line is just
below her armpits, Sawchuk has had
to muster up a tremendous amount
of co-ordination and core strength in
order to dance waltz and swing
numbers with Cook. However, once
they found themselves on the same
page, the dancing began to come
naturally.
Cook says that Sawchuk has had
to evolve as a dancer faster and in a
different way than most participants.
Usually, he said, the steps of a dance
are a natural way for a dancer to
keep time in his/her head. With
Sawchuk unable to step and gliding
through her dances, she has to keep
time in her head without the aid of
stepping, making it much more
complicated.
The idea for Sawchuk to
participate first arose when she was
speaking with Melissa Boven one
day. Boven danced with Cook at the
event last year and her experience
made Sawchuk want to get back into
dancing and she felt as though Cook
would be the perfect teacher.
Cook said that Sawchuk had
wanted to come into East Side
Dance Studio for lessons before her
accident. She had even bought dance
shoes, but was unable to use them
after she was hit by a car while
cycling and paralyzed from the chest
down three years ago.
However, Cook has been keen to
help Sawchuk learn how to dance
now post -injury and felt the
competition would be a perfect way
to take it even further. Cook
suggested that she be a "star" in the
upcoming Dancing with the Stars
competition. Sawchuk said she
was instantly excited about the
prospect.
"I thought it was a fabulous idea. I
love to dance and this was
something to shoot for," she said.
The pair began practising once a
week, which is a schedule that will
have to be "beefed up" according to
91prA Dave Mounsey
Memorial Fund
UN AROUND
THE SOUAIJ8
Registration
closes midnight
April 30th
www.runaroundthesquare.ca
All proceeds from the Run Around The Square go
towards the Dave Mounsey Memorial Fund and
the purchase of life-saving defibrillators.
Cook as the event approaches, and
Sawchuk said she began to make
progress very quickly.
"At first it was really just him
directing me around in my chair, but
now I have learned how to really use
my core muscles, some of which
have returned because of hard work,
to push against Les' hands and
respond to his lead, just like
someone who is dancing using their
feet," Sawchuk said.
Cook said that dancing with
someone in a wheelchair has been a
completely new experience for him
and there has been very little
precedent for the pairing for them to
research. His movements have had
to change completely, and he is
largely responsible for supporting
Sawchuk during many of the dances'
moves, which is something he
always has to keep in mind.
Anne Elliott, Cook's partner, said
it has been amazing to watch the two
figure out how to dance together.
The progress they've made in just a
few months has been staggering, she
said.
What has been thrilling for both
Cook and Sawchuk, however, is that,
in a way, they are both starting at the
beginning. Unlike the usual Dancing
with the Stars relationship of pairing
a professional with an amateur, both
are learning the ropes in the unique
situation together.
"The challenge is that neither of us
really know what we are doing,"
Sawchuk said. "Yes, Les knows
how to dance, but he has never
danced with someone who uses a
wheelchair and I have never danced
with my wheelchair before. So, we
really are both starting from
scratch."
Both Cook and Sawchuk have
likened Sawchuk's style to that of an
ice dancer, with an emphasis on
gliding rather than the steps of a
dance.
And while the early weeks of the
process have not been without their
challenges, both are confident they
will be major players by the time the
competition is here.
"Les and I are going to learn to
dance like professionals," Sawchuk
said, "and we are going to blow
away the competition."
This year's Dancing with the Stars
event is scheduled for Saturday, Oct.
20. It will feature, in addition to the
pairing of Sawchuk and Cook,
JoAnn Robinson and Wayne Bos,
Jessica Carnochan and Herb
Runstedler, Pete Albers and Reanna
Ramaker, Matt Hussey and Bonnie
Walter and Mike Dirkson and Patty
Coulter.
For more information on Victim
Services, visit its website online at
www.victimserviceshuron.ca.
#1 And We
-flU /Still Try
Harder!
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The Citizen has the
highest circulation in the
northern part of Huron County,
#3 in the entire county.
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Sunday, May 13`°
The Square,
Goderich, Ontario
Kids' Race at 8:30 a.m.
5- and 10 -kilometre run at 9 a.m.
This year's Run Around
The Square defibrillator
donation will be the Fund's
90th and will be donated
in memory of long-time
Blyth Fire Chief Paul
Josling, who passed away
in 2017. Paul was a
dedicated firefighter,
committed volunteer and
community champion.
•