UNITY - Speed skating isn’t exactly a popular sport in our area.
When you think of speed skating, you think of Olympic champions like Clara Hughes or Catriona Le May Doan.
There’s a new name to add to the list of well-known speed skaters.
Sixteen-year-old Rayel Green is in her second season of speed skating.
Green, who attends high school at McLurg in Wilkie, is a multi-sport athlete dabbling in volleyball and fastball, but has taken on a new challenge.
Green is learning speed skating and training with the Lloydminster Border Blades club.
A former figure skater, Green decided to try something new.
Green says she knew there was a speed skating oval in Lloydminster and decided to check it out one day.
This year alone Green has attended short track events in Lloydminster, a long track event in Calgary and the weekend of Feb. 6, took part in the CACLT national event in Saskatoon.
She plans to participate in more short track meets once the long track season is over.
Green invites others to try the sport.
“Don’t be afraid to try it,” she said. “The club in Lloyd is very welcoming. All competitions are optional so you can be as competitive as you choose to be.”
Skaters do need to be committed, however.
Green travels to Lloydminster three times a week to train, as well as dedicating her own time to personal training to keep up with the demands of the sport.
Competitions Green has participated in this year include 500m, 1000m, 1500m and 3000m races. For perspective, one lap around a hockey rink is 100m.
Within a competition weekend, Green is averaging about four kilometres of skating per event.
Green believes in the old adage “you don’t know if you like something new until you’ve tried it.”
Turns out she likes it quite a bit.
