- published: 17 Feb 2011
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Elvis Stojko, MSC, MSM (born March 22, 1972) is a Canadian figure skater. He is a three-time World champion (1994, 1995, 1997), two-time Olympic silver medalist (1994, 1998), and seven-time Canadian champion (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002).
Stojko's parents named him after Elvis Presley because they were fans of the singer. Stojko has chosen Presley's music as accompaniment during exhibitions.
Stojko's parents immigrated to Canada in the '50s, his Slovenian father came on a boat in 1955 and his Hungarian-born mother, Irenee, escaped through the Soviet Invasion in 1956. Stojko was born in Newmarket, Ontario and grew up in Richmond Hill, Ontario. He began skating at the age of 4 and won his first trophy when he was 6; as a child he also studied karate, earning a black belt when he was 16. He has sometimes incorporated martial arts moves into his skating. He competed in the 2005 WKA Canadian Championships and placed first in the Chinese martial arts division. He also likes to ride dirt bikes.