THE FAST LANE - Spring Edition |
Welcome back to The Fast Lane,
Hello Speed Skating Alberta Community,
As we move further into spring, summer training is already underway for many in our community. This is a key time to reset, rebuild, and recharge after a busy season, whether that’s through dryland training, trying out other sports, or simply enjoying some time away from structured training.
We hope everyone is finding a good balance as we head into the off ice-season. These months play an important role in setting the foundation for what’s ahead in the new season.
We’d also love to see what you’re up to this summer, keep tagging SSA in your training sessions, adventures, and off-ice activities so we can share in the journey across the province!
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Coaches' Corner
A new Olympic Oval (ST) program, in collaboration with SSA
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Summit Camp Coaches Wanted | August 3–8
SSA is currently looking for coaches to support our Summit Camps this summer, including both Kids Camp and Performance Camp programming.
If you are interested in being part of the coaching team, please complete the application form HERE.
Canada Winter Games – Coaches & Team Managers
SSA is looking for coaches and team managers interested in being involved with the Canada Winter Games program.
Minimum coaching requirement: Competition Development Certified
If you are interested in learning more or putting your name forward, please complete the Application Form here:
LINK
Upcoming Coaching Courses
Fundamentals
📍 In-person | Calgary
📅 August 1–2
Introduction to Competition
📍 In-person | Calgary
📅 September 12–13
Registration is now open — sign up HERE.
* We know travelling to Calgary is not feasible for all coaches across Alberta. While SSA is exploring future virtual coach education opportunities, we encourage coaches who are able to attend to take advantage of the upcoming in-person courses as we continue to grow and support coaching across the province.
Coach with us!
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Congratulations to our Major Officials & their upgrades!
The past several weeks have brought exciting news for our Alberta officials, with a number of you earning Provincial, National, and International appointments and upgrades.
Congratulations on being retained or added to the ISU Officials List for the 2026-2027 season to: Blair Toblan, Rhona Brennan, Sue Steckle, Claire Loberg and Kimberley Fraunberger. Congratulations as well to ISU International Referees Marc McGee, Gregg Planert, Bruce Thorpe, Jacky Shoebridge, and Melanie Winters, and ISU International Starters Paul Chateau, Andrew Cross, Tom Lipsett, John Muller, and Myron Pearman.
We would also like to thank Marc Poulin, Hans Terstappen, Brad Bates, and Dave Thomson for their years of service as ISU Officials as they reach the applicable ISU age limit.
At the National level, congratulations to Greg Ogilvie (starter), Amy Naylor (starter), and Andrea Tyrrell (Sport Expert) on achieving Apprentice National status, and to Anthony Hanson (Starter LT), Kari Rae (Sport Expert & Comp Steward), Andrea Tyrrell (Comp Steward), Christopher Stone (Referee), and Jill Mark (Starter LT) on their National-level upgrades.
Congratulations as well to our newest Provincial (formerly level 2) Officials: Alisa Xiong (Starter), Chris Broval (Referee), Cooper Schultz (Referee), Ian Smibert (Referee), Isaac Emblin (Comp Steward), Jon Kozubeck (Referee), Julia Bozhedomodova (Starter), Julia Brooks (Starter), Scott Sheldrake (Comp Steward), Sean Swiderski (Starter), Yuriko Boyce (Referee), and Zimu Wang (Starter).
Thank you to all of our officials for the time, excellence, and dedication you bring to our sport. Your commitment helps create quality competition opportunities for skaters across Alberta and beyond.
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Looking Back - Provincial Championships |
A fun filled weekend in Lloydminster! |
Since our last update, we’ve capped off the season with the Provincial Championships in Lloydminster, a great weekend that brought together skaters from across Alberta for the final points and provincial rankings of the year.
The weekend kicked off with fun racing for our youngest skaters and new participants from Lloydminster and surrounding areas, helping set an inclusive and energetic tone for the rest of the event. A clear highlight for many was the skate disco on
Friday night, complete with lights out and lightsabers provided by the Cenovus Energy Hub.
Saturday and Sunday delivered tight and competitive racing across (older) club, youth, and (Neo)Junior categories, with athletes battling hard right through to the final races of the season. It was great to see the depth of racing across the province on full display.
We also enjoyed a strong sense of community throughout the weekend, including a well-attended Saturday night social at the Lloydminster Agricultural Exhibition Association.
A big thank you to everyone who came out, and to the Lloydminster Border Blades Club for helping deliver a fantastic event to close out the season.
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Save the Date | SSA Community Town Hall
📅 June 25 | ⏰ 5:30–6:30 PM
We’re hosting a virtual Community Town Hall on June 25 to talk through SSA’s move to the Alberta Safe Sport Complaint Mechanism and what that means for our community. We’ll also take some time to go through the SSA Code of Conduct in a more practical, easy-to-follow way so it’s clearer how it applies in day-to-day situations across our sport, beyond just a registration requirement.
We hope you can join us — registration link below.
REGISTRATION LINK
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Town Hall - Save the Date
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🔭 Looking Ahead – What’s Coming Up
As we move into the summer period, there are still a few key SSA moments coming up that we’re really excited about.
👥 SSA Community Town Hall – June 25
We’re looking forward to connecting with everyone at our upcoming Town Hall, where we’ll share updates on SSA joining the Alberta Safe Sport Complaint Mechanism and walk through the Code of Conduct in a more practical way for our community.
🏕️ Summit Camp Week – August 3–8
Summit Camp is just around the corner! Registration is still open for skaters, and spots are filling up quickly, so make sure to secure yours soon if you’re planning to attend. It’s shaping up to be a great week of on- and off-ice development for both Kids and Performance Camp athletes.This year’s Summit Week will feature a variety of exciting opportunities, including guest coach appearances from Jeremy Wotherspoon, Pilates sessions with Coach Cristina, running and track technique training, athlete information sessions, and plenty of fun both on and off the ice. Whether you're looking to develop new skills, learn from experienced coaches, or connect with fellow skaters from across the country, Summit Camp has something for everyone.
🏆 SSA Awards Night – August 8 (Calgary)
We’re also excited to celebrate the season at our Annual Awards Night in Calgary on August 8. Keep an eye out for nomination forms coming soon, we’ll be recognizing athletes, coaches, and volunteers across several categories, including Coach of the Year and Youth / Neo-Junior Skater of the Year.
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💙 Our Community
This time of year offers a natural pause between seasons—an opportunity to look back on what’s been achieved and shift focus toward rebuilding, learning, and enjoying different experiences on and off the ice in the months ahead.
We always enjoy seeing what our community is up to outside of competition. Whether it’s training updates, club moments, skater milestones, or time spent in other sports and activities, we encourage you to share and tag SSA or reach out at info@speedskatingalberta.ca.
These moments help keep our community connected across Alberta, no matter where the training path takes you during the off-season.
With appreciation,
Maggie
Executive Director
P.S. You’re receiving this newsletter because you’re part of the Speed Skating Alberta community, whether as a member, supporter, or subscriber. You can unsubscribe anytime below.
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