Kinsmen Moose Jaw Speedskating Club Offers Launching Point for Elite Skaters
The Kinsmen Moose Jaw Speedskating Club has for decades produced top-level skaters at all levels of competition – but this past winter took things to a whole new level. Once Moose Jaw’s Graeme Fish started doing his thing on the World Cup stage, everyone now knows just how far someone from Moose Jaw can go in the sport. The 23-year-old long-track distance specialist set a world record in the 10,000 metres on his way to winning world championship gold this past December in Salt Lake City. The stunning performance was the highpoint of a season filled with medal performances and plenty of globetrotting for the now Canadian Olympic medal hopeful. Fish – like fellow current and former provincial record holders Olivia Moyse, Gabrielle Sanson, Dylan Barker and Tara and Lindy Kergan – cut his teeth at the Kinsmen Sportsplex arena and the the Wakamow Oval, both of which act as regular training venues for the local club. For only $40 a year, skaters receive regular training from highlevel certified coaches, ranging from their Learn to Skate program to the competitive longtrack and short-track programs. The season begins in late Sep-
Graeme Fish racing at a World Cup event this past winter.
tember and runs through the early spring depending on how far skaters intend to take their training and competition. Skaters are affiliated with the Saskatchewan Speed Skating Association and participate in meets throughout western Canada, including their own annual short track meet held every March at the Sportsplex. Along the way, they learn to take the ice in the safest manner possible, with the MJKSSC following guidelines to make safety their highest priority: skaters have to wear helmets and protective safety gear at all times when practicing and competing.
58 2020 ExploreMooseJaw.com
Those looking to get involved in the sport for the first time can go through the aforementioned Learn to Skate for ages four and up. Fall and winter sessions are held every season and give youngsters a chance to learn the basics of speedskating before putting on the blades for the first time. For more information on the Kinsmen Moose Jaw Speed Skating Club, be sure to check out their website at moosejawspeedskatingclub.wildapricot.org/ or contact the club at mjspeedskating@gmail.com.
