A Calgary teen is juggling a shoe rack of dancing shoes and running shoes as he represents Canada in multiple world-class events in ballroom dancing and track and field. Patrick Buscu started ballroom dancing when he was just six. By 2025, Buscu was ranked 19th in the world at the 2025 WDSF Under-21 Ten Dance World Championship in Portugal. And then, as if that wasn’t impressive enough, the 18-year-old also represented Canada at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Eugene, Oregon, competing in the 110 metre hurdles, where he brought home a silver medal, earning him the ranking of 34th in the world. The Calgary teen says it’s not just a one-man show becoming world-ranked in two different disciplines. “If I didn’t have people that supported me, cared for me - they’re my backbone,” he said. “I could say I’m the results of their support especially both my coaches and my mom. “They’ve been huge parts in helping me grow, not just as an athlete but as a person.” First love Buscu’s first love is ballroom dancing, where he spends close to five days a week training with his new partner, Mariana Ravelo, under the guidance of coach Michael Radko, M. One Dance Hub owner. Radko played soccer when he was young and knows the benefits of being a multisport athlete. “I think it just helps dancing and because dance is a sport and he’s not just a dancer, he’s a competitor,” said Radko. “You need to be strong physically, strong mentally plus stamina, with two types of sports. “They help each other to (make a) better athlete.” Combination of talent and discipline Radko says Buscu has a great combination of talent and discipline and his work ethic makes him special. On the other hand, he’s still a teenager. “Sometimes he’s cranky or he’s tired,” he said. “He’s exhausted because of school and so many other activities that he does but I know how to find the right approach and Patrick is a good guy to work with, it’s always fun to work with him.” Buscu is relatively new to track and field and hurdles: he only started in September, 2025. Dani Marland, Calgary International Track Club coach says the U20 event in Oregon is a high level event and it’s rare for a competitor Buscu’s age to qualify. “I’ve never seen an athlete start in their first year and advance to that level of competition,” he said. “I think it speaks a lot to how dedicated he was to the training, both here and I think also in his dance, and the foundation that he’s been able to build with his dance coach and the partners that he’s had in ballroom. “It really lent itself well to what he was doing on the track.” Ballroom edge Marland says competing on the world stage for ballroom gives him experience not many athletes have. “When he gets to a higher level competition like nationals or U20 worlds, I think he’s quite used to having to step inside that space and bring his best foot forward in something that I think a lot of other athletes might struggle with,” Marland said. “His ability of understanding his body in space, I think it was very advanced for someone at his age and so that lent itself really well to a highly technical event like hurdling.” Buscu says his track and field friends have a hard time seeing him as a ballroom dancer but Buscu chose the event to help him build strength to help him be a better dancer. “They both complement each other,” he said. “Because some skills that I gained from dance helped me in hurdles and then some skills that I learned from hurdles helped me in dance.” Buscu says his first love will always be ballroom because he says there’s nothing like having the spotlight on you at a competition in front of a massive crowd. “It’s like you step into it and then you just feel the energy that’s completely different,” he said. “The vibe is truly - I just love being there and then seeing others dance while you compete as well is like wow, it’s like you’re doing something at such a high level that not many very people do and it’s very unique.” His ballroom coach is supporting Buscu in both sports and want’s to see him excel. “He shared with me that he wants to become a professional dancer one day and become one of the best dancers in the world,” said Radko. “But at the same time I know he has a dream to do his best in track and field and I think as long as he has energy and time to do both, why not, we’ll see where his journey will take him and I’m excited for him.”
