Sixteen years of passionate skating have paid off for IW skater Matthew Kershaw, who heads off for Mexico in August to join Disney on Ice.

Matthew has long been a mainstay of IW shows and galas, performing a number of entertaining and skilful exhibition routines that regularly won him trophies at club competitions and opens on the mainland. The IW was recently treated to his skating skills when Matthew returned to the Island to perform at the Island Games Gala on 29 June.

Matthew achieved level 10 in the NISA skating tests, and skated at UK IJS qualifying events with the aim of competing nationally at the highest level. Such demands meant he had to leave the Island and train at Basingstoke.

As a resident of Freshwater, Matthew is no stranger to travelling, what with a 20-mile journey to the ice rink in Ryde. He should be able to take an international tour with a highly regarded ice skating company in his stride.

Matthew joins a select band of IW skaters who have gone on to perform professionally, including Terri Smith, now head coach at Ryde;  Georgia Whelan, who until recently coached at Cardiff; and Robert Paxton, who along with pairs partner Erica Risseeuw signed up last year with Royal Caribbean to skate professionally in the on-board show on cruise ship Mariner of the Seas.