is a 1987 Canadian made-for-television movie written by Suzette Couture and directed by Randy Bradshaw.
[1] The film is about Lori Laroche, a young figure skater from Peterborough, Ontario.
In her debut at the 1985 Canadian Figure Skating Championships, Laroche (Christianne Hirt) places third.
At the banquet to announce the team that will attend the World Figure Skating Championships, Stuart Carmody (Cec Linder) the president of the Canadian Figure Skating Association, decides to send Christa Simmons, the Canadian champion, and Laroche instead of the silver medalist, Tara Lynn (Owens Shelley-Lynn Owens).
Tara Lynn's coach, Bruce Gainor (Colm Feore) is furious, and pulls Carmody aside.
The Canadian Figure Skating Association offers to pay for her training costs and new coach, Bruce Gainor, in Toronto.
Laroche's overbearing mom, Carla (Rosemary Dunsmore) is excited, while her dad, Ron (Tom Butler) is less than thrilled at the idea of their young daughter moving away from home in the middle of the school year.
At the Peterborough Arena, Carla tells Anna Petrie (Patricia Hamilton) about the coaching change.
Gainor and choreographer, Denise, come up with a plan for Laroche to do a triple Salchow in her program for Canadians.
Members of the CFSA board are concerned about Laroche; however, Gainor calms their nerves about her health and the program.
The owner of the hotel calls the cops on them, and Hackett and Laroche are allegedly arrest.
Gainor and Carmody wait outside the police station arguing about what happened with Laroche's career.
Laroche exits the police station, and Carmody begs her not to quit skating.
Laroche moves back home to live with Carla and her sister, Kyra (Alyson Court) in a two-bedroom apartment.
Laroche eventually goes through a depression and tells Carla it's her fault she doesn't have anything else in her life but figure skating.
At sectionals, even though Laroche can land a triple Salchow, she falls on her first jump, a double Axel, in the beginning of her program and becomes injured.
Frye meets with Carmody and Betty Widmer (Wanda Cannon) of the CFSA to see if she can get a bye.
Frye prepares Laroche to take the ice as Carmody, Widmer, Carla, Kyra, Ron, Anna, and Donny look on from the audience.
The film received recognition in 1988 by Gemini Awards, receiving Gemini nominations for Christianne Hirt for "Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series" and for Rosemary Dunsmore for "Best Performance by a Supporting Actress", and Gemini wins for "Best TV Movie", "Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series", and "Best Writing in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series".
The Video Movie Guide 1998 gave Blades of Courage three and a half stars and said that "Aside from the stereotyped pushy mother, this is a realistic film that reveals the effort involved in developing a champion.