KZN skaters make their mark in Cape Town
Emma Gys and Chelsey Randal's achievements reflect courage, commitment and hard work.
Two young KZN skaters took to the ice in Cape Town this month, bringing home results to be proud of and valuable experience to build on.
There is something special about stepping onto the ice, hearing your name called and knowing that all those hours of practice have led to this moment. For the two youngsters, the Cape Inter-Provincial Figure Skating Championships and FutureStars26 were an opportunity to do just that.
The Cape Inter-Provincial Figure Skating Championships took place at the Ice Station in Cape Town from October 11-14. The Western Province branch of the South African Figure Skating Association (SAFSA) hosted the event, bringing together skaters to compete, learn, and share their love of the sport.
The Cape Inter-Provincials recorded 107 entries across three disciplines: 79 Singles entries, 25 Solo Dance entries and three Synchronised Skating teams, Team Velocity, Junior Blades and Team Ignite.
As the largest skating community in the country, Western Province is fortunate to offer a wide range of disciplines, including Free Skating (Singles), Pairs Skating, Ice Dance and Synchronised Skating, as well as a well-established Learn to Skate programme.
KZN’s Emma Gys achieved a commendable fifth place in Singles – Gold U19 Women at the Cape Inter-Provincial Championships.
Chelsey Randal competed at the FutureStars26 Championships on October 14, where she achieved an excellent fourth place in Singles Bronze, Girls 8 and under.
SAFSA KZN is proud of both skaters for taking up the challenge of competing away from home. Their achievements reflect the courage, commitment and hard work that go into preparing for a competition.
FutureStars26 featured 27 skaters across eight sections, from Adult Introductory Artistic and Technical categories to the Bronze age groups.
Unlike the ranked competitive sections, FutureStars is not about placing skaters against one another. Its purpose is to give developing athletes their first taste of the competition environment in a supportive setting.
Skaters get to experience the excitement and nerves of performing in front of judges and an audience, following competition procedures and managing the pressure of skating when it counts. These experiences help them build confidence, learn to stay composed and prepare for the demands of competitive figure skating.
Every skater develops at their own pace. For some, simply stepping onto the ice and completing a programme in a competition setting is a significant achievement. FutureStars recognises this important stage of development and gives skaters the chance to grow before progressing into ranked competition.
You do not have to be a champion to enjoy figure skating. It starts with a willingness to step onto the ice, give it a go and have some fun.
SAFSA KZN encourages members of the public, children and adults alike, to experience the joy of skating. Whether you dream of gliding across the ice, learning something new or one day taking part in a competition, every skating journey starts with that first step – or, in this case, that first glide!
Who knows? The next young skater to make KZN proud could be you!
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