Figure skating shaped the early days of Jean-Claude Detre's varied life of achievement. In Belgium he rose through the local, regional, national levels of competition eventually the Winter Olympic Games. Jean-Claude, who recently joined the Rotary Club of Ladner, told fellow members on August 18 2026 about competing in the Olympic skating pairs event on one occasion then returning on other occasions as a coach of Belgian skaters who placed highly in their events. Having lived and worked in various regions of Belgium and elsewhere as a skating coach he learned six languages, among them French, English, Dutch, and German.
His long career in ice skating opened doors into other fields, including working at an amusement park, training dolphins, producing dolphin and ice shows, staging performances, and working with audio and ice productions. He attributes his career development to opportunity, adaptability, hard work, and using his physical skills and creativity. That included building a house in Orlando, Florida which he visits with his wife and fellow Ladner Rotarian Marie-Laure Liao, who has also led an impressive international business career. Together they run a consulting business.
Using some of his many talents, Jean-Claude produced this autobiographical video, "70 years in 7 minutes".
