By Sarah Tone, Communications Coordinator
The Canada Games are held once every two years, and alternate between winter and summer. With four years between one winter games to the next, the chance to compete against the best young athletes in the nation, is often a once-in-a-lifetime.
At the 2023 Canada Winter Games, for Tracy Leipsic and Scott Van Horne, their once-in-a-lifetime has flipped from athlete to parent.
Tracy Leipsic competed in speed skating in 1987 Canada Winter Games Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and now, her son Adam Buchwald (17, Winnipeg) is in PEI here to do the same.
“My mom used to speed skate when she was younger, she got pretty good and then had to quit because of injury. Then she coached later and was my coach when I was younger, too,” said Adam.
Adam’s skated for 13 years. He used to compete in short track and says the transition is one he’s been working really hard on.
“It was it was a little little tough at first, but I’m really starting to figure it out now, especially in the longer distances. And also the shorter distance, just the start, the sprint part was a pretty big transition from short track, to long track. I’ve really been working on that.”
Scott Van Horne was an athlete at the 1995 Canada Games. He coaches his daughter Skylar and she’s Adam’s teammate.
“The influence my dad’s had of getting into speed skating is a major part because he’s always there with everything I do and he tries to make sure that my experience as an athlete is a good one.”
We’ve heard from a few skaters here at the Games that speed skating is so interesting because it’s just like track – but it’s on ice. In short track, it’s faster and more interactive, and in long track, the race is always close.
Adam’s favourite race is the 10K and he’s come a long way in that long-distance race.
“It’s a lot of mental preparation and kind of wrapping your head around what race you’re doing. Coming from a short track background, I had to switch my brain this year to long track and it took a little while to figure it out.”
Skylar prefers a shorter, quicker race, the 3K.
“My favorite race, is 3K because I’m more of a distance skater, so going out and just being able to do your own thing, I enjoy it.”
Something they both can agree on is how much they value their parents’ experiences and expertise as their coaches.
“[My mom] has always been a really good mentor. If she’s coaching, then she’s a coach before a parent, and if she’s not my coach, she’s always a parent before coach. I think that’s been really helpful and a really good influence on me,” said Adam
“Having [my dad] as my coach, I just know I can trust him and that he wants to make sure that everything is beneficial to me. He has my best interest in heart and it just is really good to know your coach is there for you,” added Skylar.
