Off to the skate races

Winnipeg

Elmwood

Blades flashed fast and furious at Canada Life Centre on Feb. 18.

That evening, hundreds of students from 17 elementary schools in Winnipeg School Division took part in the division’s 105th annual skate races, held this year in the downtown NHL rink.

“The goal of this event is to promote physical activity, healthy living, and positive sport behaviours,” said Alyson Gysel, WSD divisional physical and health education support teacher. “Building on what students learn in class, this extra-curricular opportunity allows them to explore skating as a lifelong activity.”

This year, approximately 375 students in Grades 3 to 6 took part.

“Over the years, it has taken a couple different forms,” Gysel said. “In the last couple years we’re trying to make it even more equitable, to build capacity of kids to learn to love to skate. It’s something they can also do to build relationships with friends and family. Sometimes, learning to skate is the barrier to participating in those things.”

In recent years, the WSD has created a divisional skate library, which includes both skates and helmets, which schools can use as needed to enable more students to take part in skating activities during winter months.

“We’re trying to identify barriers and work to break those down,” Gysel said. “We’re getting good feedback from teachers and we’ll keep tweaking things here and there so more kids can take part in the future.”

The WSD skate race event included both shuttle relays for novice skaters and, for more advanced skaters, speed skating races. Most of the schools involved had been practising on outdoor rinks at local community centres in the four weeks leading up to the event.

“First, it was pretty nerve-wracking. And then it just felt like I just wanted to do it again,” said Tobin Worobec, a Grade 4 student at École Sir William Osler who plays hockey but had never tried speed skating before. “I kept on cheering for all the guys in there. They’re amazing skaters and I just really want everyone to have a really fun time.”

“I did this last year. It’s exciting. It’s really fun,” said Quincy Wat, a Grade 6 student at Glenelm School, after his first race of the evening. “We did pretty good. We got second place.”

“There are a number of phys-ed teachers who feel like this is a keystone event for their school,” Gysel said. “I’m really trying to encourage as many schools as possible to participate, so hopefully that number will go up in the future. The ones who do and have always enjoy it.”

Skaters from Speed Skating Manitoba’s provincial team were on hand to provide students and those in attendance with a short-track speed skating demonstration.

“It’s great to see general physical activity and participation in the event itself. It’s so fun to be a part of,” said Elizabeth Williamson Derraugh, executive director of Speed Skating Manitoba. “There is also really a historic component to it as well. It has been happening since long before any of our time. My mom grew up racing, and you often meet people who grew up with this, and how participating in these races with their school and their friends was a highlight of their childhoods.”

Other Speed Skating Manitoba team members were on hand as volunteers, and the organization provided much of the equipment.

“It’s a good outreach opportunity and really fun to see the excitement of the races,” Williamson Derraugh said. “It’s a great community-building-type event. We love to be involved.”