Early next month, Ladysmith figure skater Sarah Kedves and her pairs partner Lucas Pallard from Nanaimo will compete at one of the top levels of competition, moving one step closer to the nationals.
Kedves and Pallard will represent British Columbia and Yukon Territories at the Skate Canada Challenge, which will take place Dec. 4-8 in Regina.
The Skate Canada Challenge is a qualifier for the Canadian Championships.
Kedves and Pallard, who are members of the Fuller Lake Skating Club, qualified for the Skate Canada Challenge by finishing second at the Sectionals earlier this month.
“It felt different,” Kedves, a Grade 8 student at Ladysmith Secondary School, said of qualifying for the Skate Canada Challenge. “It was an achievement, but I was also nervous.”
Pallard, who goes to Nanaimo District Secondary School, says it doesn’t really feel real.
“I never really thought about it, so it’s kind of hard to believe,” he said.
As Kedves and Pallard prepare for the Skate Canada Challenge, they are doing a lot of extra training and skating almost every day.
“We’re really trying to get our double throws,” said Kedves. “We’re starting to work on our double twist, but I don’t know if it’s going to be ready for the competition.”
Kedves says that when she thinks about representing B.C., “it’s kind of nerve-wracking.”
“I don’t want to let B.C. down,” she said.
Pallard says his goal for the Skate Canada Challenge is to finish in the top four.
“Being able to compete against more than two or three other teams I haven’t competed against before is going to be different and interesting,” he added. “It will be fun.”
Kedves and Pallard, who train in Nanaimo and Victoria and have been skating pairs together for almost a year and a half, both feel their strengths as a pairs team are their work ethic, motivation and dedication.
They both say they’re motivated by themselves and by their coaches.
“I want to see myself do better each time we compete,” said Pallard.
It will cost a lot of money for Kedves and Pallard to get to the Skate Canada Challenge, and an online fundraising page has been set up for anyone in the community who would like to help them get there.
“A large part of the cost of this trip is not only their own flights, meals and hotels, but they have to pay the costs of the coach as well,” it states. “Please help support these two great kids, who not only skate almost every day, but also both get straight As at school.”
Anyone who would like to support Kedves and Pallard can donate online here.
