Chloe skates off to Belgium

Chloe Shields, 15, of Condorrat, is off to Belgium for an open international ice skating tournament, with hopes of qualifying for the British Junior Championships.

Chloe started skating aged 11, when she took a Learn to Skate course at the Time Capsule. Coach Andrew Smith, a former member of the British skating team, recognised her natural ability and offered her private training. .

“I was part of the group Andrew was teaching but he saw I was a bit bored because I did not find the course very challenging,” said Chloe. “I stood out as a natural. So on the last day of the course he ran after my mum, asking if he could teach me privately. I was really keen as I was getting into skating and eventually my mum said ‘yes’.”

From the first few lessons, Chloe’s commitment has steadily grown and skating is now a huge part of her life, as she juggles classes, homework and around twenty hours per week of training as a skater.

Andy added: “She is a very mature young lady, and has her sights firmly set on her 2011/2012 goals. She wants to qualify for the British Junior Championships in 2011, and with this, be selected as member of the Great Britain Development Team. From this point, it will open many doors for Chloe competing internationally for her country. Her confidence has grown over the last 6 months, and heading out to Belgium will give her the experience and confidence that she needs to continue to develop towards these goals. In practice, she is showing tremendous promise towards perfecting skills that will set her up to be a strong contender for National Championship and international medals in the coming seasons.”