The Salmon Arm Ice Breakers Speed Skating Club are off to a great start this season.
While returning racers and new skaters hit the ice for practice, veteran club skater Alyssa Skaalid has been racing in the Canadian National Qualifiers in Calgary in short track speed skating, where the top 60 Junior Canadian skaters race to qualify for ranking position in Canada.
This past weekend, in the short track qualifiers, she was up against some tough competition.
She was able to move up in ranking by four places.
On Sept. 19 to 22, Skaalid competed in the long track meet at the Calgary Olympic Oval, where she got personal best times by taking 2.5 seconds off her 500-m, and was three seconds faster then her previous personal best in the 1,000-m and five seconds in 1,500-m.
“She has been training very hard all summer and her goal is to compete in the Canada Winter Games in 2015. I’m very proud of her accomplishments and dedication,” says her father Les Skaalid.
The local club practises twice a week and has a Learn to Speed Skate program throughout the season.
“We offer six sessions for $80 and we supply the speed skates. This is a great way to try it out before signing with the club as a full member. It’s also a great way to stay fit,” says club president Rick Hofmann.
For more information about the program, call Kimm Magill-Hofmann at 250-804-3083, or email: info@salmonarmspeedskatng.ca.
The next session starts Oct. 16.
