Karen Magnussen is a former figure skating world champion who was born and raised right here in Vancouver. Beginning her ice skating career at the age of six when her mother, who was a former skater, brought her to lessons at Kerrisdale arena where she skated on curling ice. In 1965 Magnussen began her career at the elite level when she won the Canadian national junior title moving her up to the senior level the following year. Magnussen was known for her strong free skating ability and she continued to rise through the ranks eventually qualifying for the World Championships in 1967 and winning her first Canadian title in 1968. In the 1968 Winter Olympics in France she placed seventh and lost her Canadian title the following year to Linda Carbonetto. In 1969 Magnussen was diagnosed with stress fractures in both her legs  causing her to spend three months in a wheelchair, despite her injuries she returned to the ice soon after recovery. Though she watched the 1969 World Championships from her wheelchair, Magnussen was determined to make a return to the ice. She went on to win the Canadian Championships four more times in the years of 1970-1973 as well as competing at the World Championships where she won bronze in 1971, silver in 1972 and eventually added a gold medal to her collection in 1973. After winning her gold medal Magnussen retired from competitive skating and performed with the Ice Capades for four years. She then coached in Boston for eleven years before returning to Vancouver to teach figure skating as well as coach hockey players in power, balance and starts and stops. In 2011 there was an ammonia leak in the North Shore Winter Club rink that caused Magnussen breathing problems, impaired her vision and ended up permanently disabling her. Karen Magnussen was the last Canadian woman to win the world title for 45 years until Kaetlyn Osmond won the title in 2018.

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