Carley Elle Allison our namesake, was a strong, courageous and vivacious young figure skater who battled a very rare form of cancer. But she was all this before her cancer diagnosis. It was her unwavering strength that allowed Carley to live her life to the fullest even as her cancer progressed and her unshakable positivity that gave birth to her blog "always smile". Carley shared every facet of her journey, the good and bad, with her followers and her blog gained attention. She quickly became a hero and advocate for all those facing adversity because, although her battle was unimaginable she always found a reason to smile. This inspirational attitude gave way to Netflix film "Kiss and Cry", novel "Always Smile: Carley Allison's Secrets to Laughing, Loving and Living" and inspires us every day at Carley's Angels to fight for those battling cancer so their outcomes can differ from our Carley.
Sparkelle was created to honour Carley and support her legacy Carley's Angels in the most Carley way we knew how, through skating. Carley was a strong and courageous young woman who battled a very rare form of cancer with contagious positivity that she coined "always smile". Due to the rareness of Carley’s disease, traditional medicine alone was not enough. Instead, Carley’s family, with the help of Toronto’s outstanding medical community, committed themselves to search for a combination of traditional and holistic treatments for Carley. The holistic treatments proved to be especially effective during Carley’s difficult journey. However, these treatments were not available in hospital and were very difficult to access in general. The combination of these holistic treatments and traditional medicine such as chemotherapy and surgery is now called integrative cancer care. Carley’s Angels is working create access to integrative cancer care for all paitents. And we do this all while spreading Carley’s contagious message of "always smile".
Sparkelle is dedicated to promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, in the world of figure skating. We celebrate and welcome the diversity of all skaters, and community members.
We are committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels they belong and that their dignity, beliefs, and identity are respected. Starting with skating dresses that are inclusive of all skin tones and sizes, working towards a sport that is truly equitable at all levels.
We are also committed to observing, developing, learning, and following best practices to improve diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in every area of the space in which we exist.