Charlie chases Olympic dream after just two years on ice

Charlie only took up skating as a good way to make new friends and combat loneliness. Two years later, though, he is a double gold winner at the Open International Figure Skating Championships in Slovenia. And now he has his sights set on joining the British team at the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps – if he can find a sponsor.

What makes 23-year-old Charlie’s story truly remarkable is that not so long ago he was facing the very real prospect of being homeless. Charlie was just 13 when abuse led to him being pressured to come out as LGBT+, a decision which created a family rift, after which he went to live with his grandmother.

“When I was 17, my Nan sadly passed away which meant I was homeless. I wasn’t able to move back in with my family, so I spent two years sofa surfing and it was around this time that my mental health really started to decline.”

“I eventually got a private tenancy, but struggled to keep up with the rent so ended up back where I started. I really struggled with the instability of sofa surfing, especially after having my own place and living independently. It felt like a step backwards and it was much harder than I anticipated going back to a lifestyle I thought I had left behind.”

It was at this point that Charlie moved to Sheffield with a boyfriend but when the relationship failed, he found himself homeless and facing a mental health crisis, even attempting to take his own life. That’s when a mental health worker referred him to South Yorkshire youth homelessness charity Roundabout and within a week he had been assigned the flat he still lives in.

“I also had access to Roundabout’s counselling service which has been amazing. Within a few weeks of signing up I was able to have a safe space to talk about how I was feeling. I had always been worried about opening up and talking to people but my counsellor helped me feel relaxed and comfortable and I now realise how good it is to talk.”

It was around this point too that he took his first steps onto the ice, a choice that has completely changed his life.

“I started skating just to make some friends because I was lonely but I very quickly got addicted to it and wanted to do competitions. I train mainly at Ice Sheffield and it is crazy to think that I have come this far in two years.”

His greatest success to date was at the recent International Figure Skating Championships, where he represented Great Britain and picked up golds in both artistic performance and the free skating categories.

“I wasn’t expecting a medal at all and even when I heard the scores I had to check online to make sure I really had won. I usually compete in the Free Skating and Artistic Skating category but I didn’t think I’d do so well.”

That said, he has to admit that he has been undefeated since May 2025 and he is going into the 2026 competition circuit with greater confidence for the future.

“It isn’t just about skating though – it has taught me discipline and respect for myself,” Charlie says.

Skating at such a high competitive level means finding the time to fit in at least 20 hours of practice per week, alongside working and studying Maths and English with Doncaster College – he’s also about to start new courses in Business and Administration.

Long term he would like to move into professional performance with one of the big international companies like Disney on Ice or Holiday on Ice. But first he has his sights set on the 2030 Winter Olympics – if he can find a suitable backer.

“I do struggle a lot with funding because it really is one cost after another at competition level. Even something like buying new boots is very expensive and the higher up you move the more expensive it becomes. If I was lucky enough to make the Olympic team I have to be able to fund flights and accommodation and find funding for my coach to accompany me too, which all costs a lot of money. Getting sponsorship is difficult but it would be great to think that there might be somebody who recognises all the work I’ve put into getting where I am today.”

Anybody interested in supporting Charlie’s Olympic dream should contact Roundabout on info@roundaboutltd.org