Sky’s the limit for Van Horne

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This article was published 11/02/2025 (220 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Competing in the Winter Olympics used to be a dream for Winnipegger Skylar Van Horne.

Now?

“It’s a goal,” the 18-year-old speed skater told the Free Press on Tuesday. “As I’m getting older I’m setting myself up well to have that opportunity in the future.”

Van Horne took some big strides towards that this past weekend in Italy as part of Canada’s eight-member team consisting of four women and four men. She helped the three-member women’s team win a silver medal in the team-sprint event at the World Junior Championships along with teammates Julia Snelgrove (Dartmouth, N.S.) and Isabelle Champagne (Calgary). They narrowly missed edging Poland for top spot, but improved upon the bronze they captured a year ago at the event held in Japan.

“There was a lot of hope and faith that we’d be able to repeat a medal. So it was great to be able to accomplish it,” said Van Horne, who is currently attending grade 12 at Vincent Massey Collegiate.

To put those accomplishments in perspective, Canada has been sending a team to the event since it was added in 2015 and didn’t reach the podium until last year.

Van Horne also finished fourth in the women’s 1,000 metres — tops among all Canadian competitors and a huge improvement from 21st last year — while showing well in the 500 metres (ninth, second-best among Canadians and up from 22nd last year), the 1,500 (24th) and 3,000 metres (26th).

“When I was younger, the 1,000 wsan’t really my favourite distance, but I’ve grown to really enjoy it over the last couple years. I was very excited when I crossed the line and saw fourth,” she said.

Van Horne is fresh off winning the 500 and 1,000 metres events at the Canadian Junior Championships in December and finishing second in the overall standings, which is how she got her spot on the national team.

“We are so proud of her,” said Marnie Hilland, a board member and coach at the Winnipeg Speed Skating Club where Van Horne also helps mentor kids in the “learn to skate” program.

“She has been an inspiration to all our club skaters. Skylar was a small skater when she started but always fast and we all knew she would be this great.”

Hilland said Manitoba punches well above its weight when it comes to long-track speed skating with Van Horne and 19-year-old Winnipegger Adam Buchwald currently on the national team. Buchwald finished 43rd in the 500, 33rd in the 1,000, 32nd in the 1,500 and fifth in the four-member men’s team pursuit in Italy.

Hilland’s son, Ryan Kulbacki, is also on the NextGen national team. The hope, of course, is to eventually produce the next Cindy Klassen or Clara Hughes who can dominate on a global stage.

Van Horne is currently leading the way locally, and the sky would appear to be the limit for this rapidly improving young athlete who has a rich family history when it comes to speed skating. Her grandmother, Donna, competed in the sport, and her father, Scott, was a member of the Canadian national team who came close to making the Olympic squad in 1998.

“It’s very cool,” said Scott Van Horne. “I was a pure sprinter to the point I couldn’t qualify for junior World’s because it’s an all-around competition. Skylar leans a little bit more to sprint, but she’s a very good middle distance. She’s exceeding what I was able to do.”

He was in Italy along with his wife to witness Skylar’s silver medal skate, which came on an outdoor oval with snow gently falling.

“It was a pretty special moment to see her up on the podium,” he said.

Once she graduates this spring, Van Horne and her family are headed west where she’ll attend the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Engineering starting in the fall. That will allow her to be close to the world-class training facility in that city, which she visits once a month. Of course, help will always be closest to home.

“My Dad is a huge help. He definitely knows from experience the struggles and how to grow as an athlete. He’s a big support,” said Van Horne, who first hit the ice at the age of five and hasn’t stopped moving.

In addition to finishing up her high school studies, Van Horne has one more event left this season in the form of the Canada Cup Final starting at the end of the month in Quebec.

While qualifying to be on the Canadian team at next year’s Olympics in Italy would go down under the “dream” category — she should at least qualify to attend the trials in the fall — Van Horne’s goal is to make the 2030 games in France.

“I’d love to be able to able to attend an Olympics in the future. Next year might be a bit of a stretch, but never say never,” she said.

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @mikemcintyrewpg