Sport In Profile UK Issue 16 | Page 46

Altrincham FOLLOW US ONLINE twitter.com/sportinprofile Altrincham Synchro Club A ltrincham Synchro Club runs a number of successful Synchronised Ice Skating Teams, providing people with a chance to take part in a safe and enjoyable environment. Sport in Profile Magazine recently caught up with Club Representative Lisa Forbes to find out more about the good work they have been doing. She told us, “Encouraged by my daughter’s Coach Sam Ozard, we joined the Club in September 2014. We weren’t quite sure what to expect, and the 6am training time felt a bit alien. We weren’t sure whether we were cut out for this (a willing Parent is required! It’s not enough to simply have a skater who wants to participate. As a parent, you’re the one getting your skater up and out in the morning – it’s a big commitment from both). “At the time, Ella was 8, she had just completed her Skate UK Level 8 and had started on the NISA Passport, she’s completely fallen in love with ice skating and wanted to spend as much time on the ice as possible, but having started ice skating as a hobby alone, she felt quite isolated practicing at the rink. “Competitive figure skating can be quite a lonely sport, so the thought of competing as part of a Team really appealed to my daughter. Over the years Ella has gone from a shy retired little girl to a confident and bubbly performer. She also gained an instant group of friends at the 46 Issue 16 rink, and skaters to practice with on Patch sessions. It’s a very sociable discipline. “The most challenging part of the role as a parent, Vice Chair and Fundraiser is the fact that Ice Skating is an expensive sport and the pressure is on to continually find new and innovative ways to fundraise, so that the Parents aren’t constantly being asked for money. We fundraise to buy extra Ice, to run Workshops and to help towards competition entry fees etc. “It’s been so rewarding to see my daughter grow in confidence, gain a best friend, blossom into a performer and gain valuable teamwork skills that she’ll go on to use in later life. “We run a number of successful Synchronised Ice Skating Teams: • Whizz Kids (Junior B) • Altair (Preliminary) • Bladerunners (Adults)