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Speedskater a medal hopeful at 2012 AWG
Hard work key to success Richard McIntosh Northern News Services Published Friday, February 3, 2012
Stockton learned the principles of balance and skate pressure while figure skating but she successfully transitioned to competitive speedskating in her Grade 6 year. Last weekend, during the Arctic Winter Games territorial trials, Stockton finished third in the junior female division. In her first AWG appearance in 2010, Stockton won a gold medal as a member of the 2,000-metre juvenile relay team, placed second in the 666 m and finished third in the 1,000 m. Stockton, now a Grade 10 student at St. Patrick High School, will be racing as a member of Team NWT at the 2012 AWG in Whitehorse in the 500 m, the 777 m, the 1,000m, the 1,500 m individual junior female events and the 3,000 m junior female relay. "If ever there was a coachable athlete, she is the one," said Shane Clark, coach at the Yellowknife Speed Skating Club. He added that Stockton picks up advice from the coaches and immediately is able to transfer the tips to her on-ice form. "I like winning. I like being near the front. I don't want to be sitting in the back," said Stockton when asked how she would describe her style of racing. She considers her strengths as having a lot of power during the sprints. She admits that she is not as successful in the longer distances. "Tara has tremendous leg strength. She has a good base which she learned from figure skating," said Clark. Stockton attends development camps when possible. In the summer of 2010 she travelled to train on the Calgary Olympic Oval, which she described as an amazing experience. "They have different training programs and coaching styles," Stockton said. She has also trained in Richmond, B.C., and regularly attends the annual NWT Speed Skating Association development camps in Yellowknife, which take place in August. Most recently, Stockton participated in a three-day program which happened over the Christmas holidays in Yellowknife. In the off season Stockton continues to stay physically active by running, biking, and doing interval training. She is unsure exactly what her future holds but does want to attend university. In the meantime she continues to enjoy the opportunities that speedskating provides, meeting friends and "winning ulus." An ulu is a traditional Inuit knife which is used as a medal at the AWG.
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