Mount Arrowsmith skaters had a special guest during their biennial winter carnival on Saturday, Feb. 23.
Larkyn Austman, a Canadian figure skater, joined the Mount Arrowsmith Skating Club for Beatlemania last weekend, hosting a one-hour skating seminar in the morning. The seminar went over basic techniques and tips for jumps and spins, and Austman finished things up with a question and answer session.
Austman, originally from Coquitlam, was the 2018 National Skating Championship Bronze Medalist and the 2019 Skate Canada Challenge Gold Medalist. She also represented Team Canada at the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018.
Austman said on Saturday that she loves visiting the smaller skating clubs across the province because of the excitement from the students. “The little clubs remind me what it’s like to just love to skate,” she said. “These kids really just love to skate all the time.”
Austman performed two different numbers in Mount Arrowsmith’s Beatlemania show, both choreographed by Mark Pillay. “I’m really excited to do them because I don’t get to do my different show numbers all the time,” she said.
The Mount Arrowsmith skaters also hosted a belated surprise party for Austman last weekend with cake, hot chocolate and singing. Austman, who recently turned 21, said that the celebration was a bit of a surprise.
“I don’t get to spend my birthday at home very much because of when it is in the season,” she explained. “It was really nice to have somebody remember my birthday.”
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