Ben Donnelly

 Ben was born in Ajax, Ontario and raised in Oshawa Ontario. He grew up playing hockey from the age of five until nine when he made the switch to short track speed skating.

 

For the next six years Donnelly would train and race short track where he was Ontario Provincial Champion for each of those six years. He also won the North American Championships twice and Canadian Championships once.

 

Due to Ben's large stature, standing at 6'3", his father suggested that he give long track speed skating a chance. In the early fall of the 2012/2013 skating season, Donelly was in Calgary for a short track competition, but decided to stay an extra week and skate his first long track competition. He hasn't looked back since.

 

That same season, Donnelly qualified to skate for Team Canada at the World Junior