The recent RU Fast short-track speed skating competition was a resounding success for a group of young Fort Simpson athletes, according to their coach SA国际影视传媒� even if medals eluded them this time around.
"Everybody got [their] personal best, which is amazing," said Madison Pilling, one of the coaches for the team. "That's kind of what we encourage: personal growth and improvement."
The event went down on Feb. 1-2 in Calgary. There were six Fort Simpson skaters in attendance, the youngest of whom SA国际影视传媒� Ray Anne Erasmus and Jayde Allen SA国际影视传媒� are just nine years old. Two other members of the squad, Ember Sibbeston and Mia Hardistry, are 11. The final two Fort Simpson skaters, Paige Isaiah-Tanche and Payton Bennett, are both 13.
Despite their youth, they all skated very well, according to Pilling.
"[Erasmus] improved her 400 metre time by 22 seconds," the coach said. "Huge improvement.
"We had some kids making some huge milestones."
Pilling is an accomplished former speed skater herself. She was filled with pride to see the young athletes in her charge perform so admirably SA国际影视传媒� both on and off the ice.
"I'm so proud," she said. "For me as a coach, it's more about like their performance SA国际影视传媒� I think SA国际影视传媒� off the ice. Of course I'm proud of them for all these improvements and seeing their hard work pay off, but just seeing them interacting with the [other skaters] from Yellowknife, from the other communities, and interacting with the volunteers and the other officials, and minding their manners and being good people, it really just warmed my heart."
The skaters were proud of themselves too, of course.
"They were just so surprised by their improvement, and very proud of themselves," Pilling said. "[They could] see that their hard work is really paying off because it's hard to tell when you just show up every day [for practice]. These competitions are just a really good marker for them to see how much they've actually improved over such a short time."
The Fort Simpson skaters were joined in Calgary by eight other athletes from Yellowknife. Five of those athletes SA国际影视传媒� Lindsey Stipdonk, Peter Mahon, Journey Bergman, Felix Belanger and Chris Stipdonk SA国际影视传媒� picked up medals. The Stipdonks have a connection to Fort Simpson, being former residents.
While the young Fort Simpson skaters didn't make it the podium like their Yellowknife peers, Pilling is optimistic they have very bright futures in speed skating, should they decide to commit to the sport.
"I think that you can go as far as you want to," she said. "We've had multiple skaters from the Northwest Territories make the national team in the past, so it's definitely possible for them. It depends on how far they want to go. We do continuously have Team NWT representing at the Arctic Games and at the Canada Games, and that is usually kind of the goal that we set out for these youth: that if they stick with it, then they could represent Team NWT at these kind of national and international events.
"The hope is that they just love the sport, that they love doing it, and that's what motivates them more than anything."
