Skating toward gold in Northcliff

It’s that time of the morning when the sun hasn’t even taken its reign over the sky but in one Northcliff home a young figure skater is getting ready to start what is her daily routine.

Meet Ava Keenan, first place winner at the Gauteng North Provincial Championships, and second place winner at both Kwa-Zulu Natal and Cape Inter-provincial figure skating championships.

Her passion for the ice has her up really early in the morning so she can spend a few hours on the ice before she heads off to school. Her afternoons consist off-ice training that works towards strengthen her body.

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Speaking to the paper on her behalf was her mother, Elzette, who didn’t mince words on the level of pride the family had over all her successes to date. She shared that Ava had her first provincial competition when she was five years old. Now nine years old, Elzette describes her as a sporty child who participates in various school sports including netball, athletics, and hockey.

One of the figure skaters Ava adores is Signe Ronka, a Canadian figure skater who she has had the privilege to train with, in person and online over the past few years.

“She has immense respect for her coach, Susan Marais, and looks up to the senior figure skaters with whom she trains daily,” said Elzette. Through her skating, Ava has mainly traveled to coastal provinces such as Cape Town and Kwa-Zulu Natal but she is getting ready to take her first international competition next month as she heads to Canada to represent the country at the Provincial Series #4 to be held in Stratford.

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If you are not seeing Ava dominate on the ice, then you can probably be listening on as she plays the ukulele or watching on as she learns Spanish dance. “However, her favourite past time is designing clothes. She uses every spare minute she has sewing outfits and making shoes,” said Elzette.

Through sports, Elzette believes children learn resilience, camaraderie, and self-discipline. “These are important life skills in all spheres of life and will aid her in all future relationships and endeavors. Sport allows children to express themselves freely and should be a safe haven where they feel valued, supported, and respected. This is an excellent platform for building a child’s self-esteem.”

Through Ava being in sports, she traveled to various ice rinks, socialised with peers, and made several friends locally and internationally.

Soon Ava will form part of a cast Christmas on Ice which will be held at Forest Hill City Mall from November 26 to December 2.

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