Win on ice: Eileen Winifred a champion ice skater

With close to 30 figure skating trophies under her belt, and a career spanning into her 70s, Resthaven Leabrook resident, Mrs Eileen Winifred (Win) Clamp, 94, is a true icon on the ice.

It was 1960 when she lined up to try ice skating for the first time, visiting Adelaide’s St Moritz ice rink on Hindley Street.

‘I’d never been ice skating before,’ Win says.

‘But as soon as I got out on the ice, I loved it straight away.’

Back the next day, Win was a natural from the start. She bought herself some ice-skating boots and visited the venue as often as she could – usually around three times a week. Her twin sister, Jean, and their younger sister, Gloria, joined her.

Win ran the skating team’s social club and also taught children on Saturday mornings. The St Moritz rink closed in the late 1970s, but in 1979 a new rink opened at Payneham and then in 1981 the Ice Arena at Thebarton opened.

During her 20 years at the Ice Arena, Win competed in every competition held either individually or with a partner. Win’s outfits were made for her by a dressmaker, and competitions were held every three months.

‘I had a Canadian coach who taught me the skills and techniques, and then we started competing,’ Win says. ‘I had a new outfit for every event, and I competed in the freestyle, comedy, precision, couples and solo events.’

‘My family was very supportive,’ Win says of her husband Gordon and their two daughters. ‘Gordon was always happy for me to be involved in skating.’

Around the same time, Gordon was club secretary for the West Adelaide Bear Cats basketball club. The club was part of the National Basketball League at the time, just before they merged with the Adelaide 36ers. Gordon has been inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame and was regarded as one of the finest to ever work in the sport of basketball. Sadly, he died in 2007.

‘As a family, we all loved sports,’ Win says. ‘The girls played basketball and took up skating, too.’

But Win was the skating star. At the age of 59, she won her first trophy – a first place in the 1989 Winter Trials.

‘I remember competing in the Australian championships in Melbourne and beating the home team!’ Win says. ‘It was a bit of an upset, and it meant we were then going overseas to represent Australia.’

During her skating career, Win travelled to competitions in Hawaii, Hong Kong, Chicago and Disneyland.

‘One of the things that surprised me the most is that many of the rinks overseas are heated – so it’s not as cold when you are out there on the ice,’ Win says.

Each of the skating routines would tell a story, and Win recalls a particular demonstration in Chicago when they used the music of Waltzing Matilda and had a billabong set in the middle of the rink.

‘Skating was just something I loved,’ Win says.

Skating until the age of around 70, Win kept going ‘until I felt I had had enough.’

‘I met some beautiful people through skating,’ Win says. ‘It’s a lovely community.’

Win moved into Resthaven Leabrook in 2024.

‘I enjoy living here very much,’ Win says. ‘The staff all do so much to help you – it’s like being on holiday all the time.’

Thank you for sharing your story, Win!