Canadian ice dancer Piper Gilles is skating with a greater sense of peace since her cancer diagnosis last season and whenever she is struggling to walk out of her front door to attend practice, she thinks back to the many days she physically could not.

The 32-year-old Gilles and partner Paul Poirier have set their sights on gold at this week's world figure skating championships in Montreal, hoping for a glittering finish to what has been perhaps the best season of their 12-year partnership.