The Sardis Fliers Speed Skating Club is one of seven Canadian clubs who’ve been given a $5,000 grant from the Podium Tracker Program.
Podium Tracker, now in its seventh year, is a partnership between Intact Insurance and Speed Skating Canada.
Every time a member of the Canadian National Speed Skating Team, such as Chilliwack native and Fliers alum Alec Janssens, reached the podium at a 2016-17 World Cup or World Championship event, Intact Insurance donated $1,000.
The money was split among the seven recipients.
Since its inception in 2010, the Podium Tracker program has distributed $285,000 to help in the development of Canadian speed skating.
“We are immensely proud of the work our club has put in to receive this grant, and thankful for the opportunity provided by Speed Skating Canada and Intact Insurance,” said Sardis Fliers president Sandra Rae. “It is exactly the kind of partnership that grows sports at the grassroots level and gives more athletes the chance to experience the thrill of speed skating first hand.”
The Fliers will use the grant money to raise the profile of the sport in Chilliwack.
“Speed Skating is an accessible sport that teaches competition, teamwork and hard work, and it is an increasingly popular option for kids who don’t want to participate in equipment-heavy sports like hockey,” Rae noted. “We have special-Olympics skaters, beginner skaters, provincially-ranked skaters and master skaters so there is something for everyone in our club.
“We are very inclusive and there is something for everyone.”
The Fliers start training in September at Twin Rinks. Beginners skate Mondays and Thursdays. Intermediates and elites train on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.