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When Kaiyu Zhang strapped on skates for the first time, he had a typical beginner’s experience.

“I fell so hard that people came over and asked, `Are you okay? Are you okay?’” he recalls with a bashful grin. “Ice skating looked really cool, but I discovered it’s not that easy.”

Unfazed, the third-year pharmacology student got back up again and has been working on his skills ever since.

“I’m still a beginner, but I am getting better,” he says with a chuckle.

"Ice skating isn’t all that common at home, we only have roller skating, so it was all entirely new,” says Zhang, who came to Canada three years ago from China.

Beginning in 2011, staff and faculty members at the university have donated skates to help more students enjoy time on the ice at Varsity Centre. Staff member Caz Zyvatkauskas donated two pairs of skates to the and has been urging her co-workers to follow suit.

"Even though ice skating is a quintessential Canadian pastime it’s not a cheap one," says Zyvatkauskas. "I loved that the university gave students access to ice and skates for free and wanted to encourage that.

"It’s especially heart-warming to share the experience with international students who have had no or little exposure to ice skating."

To Zhang, the pastime is an inspiring way for international students to get to know and enjoy campus life. And now that he’s more comfortable on the ice, Zhang plans to take advantage of drop-in times and the skate rental program at Varsity Centre. He’s even organized an event to get the students he mentors at the Centre for the International Experience () to lace up.

“It’s not just that skating is a good, healthy activity for us,” he explains. “It’s totally new. And international students love to try new things!”

Zhang’s CIE party is one of several free skating events, including the recent event Dec. 4, hosted by the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education to encourage students to take advantage of the fact that there’s a rink right on campus. Most often there’s an instructor on hand. And there are some skates available to borrow free of charge. 

Over the last two years, the faculty has seen a spike in the number of students like Zhang who want to hit the ice. In fact, the biggest challenge is often keeping up on the demand for skates.

“We're thrilled that more and more students like Zhang are getting active on the rink and coming to our events,” says Michelle Brownrigg, director of physical activity and equity at the faculty. “However, right now we simply don’t have the supply of skates we need. We hope that by reaching out to our U of T community, we can make sure that students who don’t have skates still have access to this healthy, free winter activity.”

The university's second annual campaign for skate donations from staff and faculty launched Dec. 4 with a free noon-hour skate for faculty and staff and will run until Jan. 18.

“It’s so special for me to be on the ice,” Zhang says. “I enjoy skating because I know Canada is a ‘hockey country.’ Everyone likes hockey. Everyone likes ice skating. So I enjoy being part of that culture here.”