From computer scientist to Competitor Steward, Jason Coutu was able to combine his passion of computer science with his love for speed skating.

Coutu had a late start to his speed skating career, joining the sport as an athlete in adulthood.

After participating for around six years, Coutu wanted to give back to sport the same way his parents had while he was child: committing time behind the scenes.

“My parents were always on the board of the various sport teams that I participated in. When it came time for me to retire from skating, I wanted to find a way to give back to the sport. It felt like a natural progression to go from on-the-ice skating, to on the ice as an official,” said Coutu.

Following years of dedication as an official, Coutu transitioned to the role of Competitor Steward, which took Coutu off the ice and into the office.

“By trade, I’m a computer scientist and often we are very focused on the rule sets, because computers are focused on rule sets. So being an on-ice referee and Competitor Steward, speaks to that other portion of my passion around rules,” explained Coutu.

According to the Speed Skating Canada website, the role entails preparing various rounds of racing, ensuring that the right skaters are assigned to the right race, overseeing data management and analyzing results.

Over the course of almost two-decades, Coutu has collected an impressive resume; having attended two Canada Winter Games as a Competitor Steward for long-track (2015) and short-track (2023), as well as worked numerous regional championships.

Apart from his attendance of various competitions, Coutu prioritized expanding his horizons as an official and received certifications to take on new roles.

“Speed Skating Canada honoured me [this year] with my national certification as an electronic timer and on-ice referee,” shared Coutu.

In addition, Coutu was approved at the international level to officiate long and short-track speed skating as a Competitor Steward.

To top it all off, in September, Coutu’s years of dedication to the community were recognized by Speed Skating Canada, as he was named Official of the Year.

“It was sort of an extra blessing of recognition, for all the work I’ve done over the past couple years…it was a big acknowledgement.”

Coutu’s success as a speed skating official also recognizes the influence of the mentors who guided him throughout his early years, transitioning from athlete to official.

Now, Coutu has committed 18 years to the sport as an official and works to continue to be a part of the system that allows other individuals to pursue speed skating.

“Officiating is part of giving back to a sport that is formative for a lot of people…in all sports, there is always some role that you can step into and help your sport be everything that it was for you as an athlete.”