By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator
Training 11 months out of the year, speed skaters are working hard to represent TOBA on the tracks in P.E.I.. We found out what lies ahead for the team’s hopefuls and why attending the Canada Games can be a true career highlight.
Shining on the National Stage
“I think they take a lot of pride in not just representing the province, but representing the sport,” said Elizabeth W. Derraugh, Executive Director of Speed Skating Manitoba (SSMB).
Coming out of last Canada Winter Games in 2019, our speed skaters had a phenomenal performance, going home with eight medals.
Elizabeth thinks this adds a desire and momentum among Team Toba hopefuls at the 2023 Canada Winter Games to build off that success of their past teammates, like Alexa Scott and Tyson Langelaar, who both represented Canada at the Winter Olympics last month.
“I think it’s really the only multi-sport games these athletes experience at a high level before the Olympic Games,” said Elizabeth. “I think that following in the footsteps of their predecessors, that’s a very exciting opportunity for them.”
Speed Skating Events in P.E.I.
Teams aren’t selected yet, but there will be qualifiers for spots for both short track and long track events, including individual and team events with athletes skating anywhere from 500-metre to 5,000-metre races.
They also have the team pursuit in long track (an event where Team Canada took home gold in the women’s team pursuit in Beijing), and a short track relay.
Training For a Games Like No Other
“They’ve really been preparing for this for years, honestly,” said Elizabeth.
From a physical standpoint, they train five to six days a week for 11 months. And that’s not just speed skating, but also includes strength and conditioning, sport psychology, and sport nutrition.
“For some of the athletes, it will be their second games, but for the majority, it will be their first,” said Elizabeth. “Most of them have done the Manitoba Games, but it’s on such a different level.”
With it being a multi-sport games, Elizabeth said there are several factors that make it stand out from other competitions.
Things like much more going on around you, and the pressure and attention that it garners.
As a result, their training puts an emphasis on preparing for that unique environment.
“Even if they’re racing the same people nationally, it just has that a little bit more intensity to it, so with the mental prep, they’ll do a little bit more of that leading up to it with this being a games year.”
A Strong Pool of Athletes
Elizabeth is looking forward to watching the athletes grow and work towards their goals.
“With our pool of athletes, it’s an exciting year,” said Elizabeth. “These are all gifted athletes who worked really hard to get where they are, so we’re excited to see what they can accomplish.”
Her advice to them would be to soak up the whole experience, enjoy it, and to not put so much pressure on themselves.
“They’ve done all the work going into it, so just to know what they’re capable of,” said Elizabeth.
She also hopes they use it as an opportunity to bond with their teammates and other athletes from other sports, too.
As the months go on, there will be more information shared about key events such as qualifiers. Keep up with important dates and follow SSMB’s journey to P.E.I on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, or visit their website.
To learn more about speed skating at the Canada Winter Games, visit the Canada Winter Games website.
