Week 2 of the Winter Games athlete spotlight

In Ponoka News’ second installation of young Ponoka athletes at the Alberta Winter Games, we look at ice skaters;

First up, free skater Malorie Rausch, 13:

A team of three coaches works closely with Rausch on her skills, technique and choreography. Coach Sue Reykdal said it gives the skater a chance to look at her sport from different perspectives.

“Over the last few years we’ve been working at pushing her out of her comfort zone too, so she never feels too comfortable,” explained Reykdal.

Rausch, who has been skating since she was three, practices four nights a week; one in Red Deer with her technical backup specialist. She works on her routine for the Winter Games most nights. Despite some anxiety, she looks forward to the challenge.

“There’s always something new and different that I have to try and I’ve always liked it,” said Rausch.

An athlete through and through, Rausch also plays volleyball, soccer, badminton, basketball, and track and field. This keeps her in shape for her passion to skate and also helps her physical training. She is also an honour student.

Reykdal said Rausch’s biggest development has been her mental training.

“She can analyze things in a much more definite way than she used too to be able to, so it’s actually quite a bit easier to teach her,” the coach explained.

Winning is important but not her main focus for the competition.

“It’s how good my skate is. You have to be a humble winner and a good loser,” explained Rausch, who credits her father for the wise words.

Next up, speed skater Tess Pearman, 13:

One could almost say speed skating is in her blood. Pearman comes from a family of speed skaters, her mother started at a young age and her two older sisters compete as well.

It takes dedication to get to Pearman’s level. From Tuesday to Thursday she has rigorous practice and in the summer, dry land training. Both help develop her muscles to hold her in a crouched position, which decreases wind resistance.

“For speed skating, especially your thighs (need strength) to hold your weight, and you have to be super low so you have to able to keep that position for a while,” she explained.

To make it to the Winter Games, Pearman competed in a series of meets from October to December.

Judges took the best overall scores from the series and Pearman ranked first overall in her grouping.

She will enter four different races at the Winter Games: 400-metres, 200-metre pursuit (skating against another person but on the opposite side of the race track), 1,500 metres and 3,000 metres.

Pearman’s goal this year was to qualify to compete in the Alberta Winter Games. There are three things Pearman enjoys about speed skating; “I like the wind in my face, I like going around corners, and my friends.”

Pearman’s mother and coach, Shawna, feels Tess will place in the top four, and her relay team “has a very good chance of winning.”