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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, December 11, 2014 | 32 HALTON TRANSMISSION 559 SPEERS RD., #UNIT 3 905-842-0725 www.haltontransmission.com Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Oakville figure skater top 11-year-old in Canada by Jon Kuiperij Beaver Sports Editor Sports "Connected to your Community" Oakville resident Natalie Walker, 11, won pre-novice silver at last week's Skate Canada Challenge in Montreal. The event also acts as the Canadian championship at the pre-novice level, which was won by 14-year-old SarahMaude Blanchard of Quebec. | photo courtesy of Danielle Earl Photography TO A Game Based LearninG Soccer Player Development Brain Based LearninG Toca and IndIfooT In one specTacular HolIday camp! Holiday Training camp for players aged 7 ­ 15 open for reGIsTraTIon dates: camp #1: december 22-23 camp #2: december 29-30 Time: 12:30pm-3:30pm each day location: Hershey centre sportszone inside gymnasiums 6, 7 and 8 cost: 2 days ­ $150 + HsT, 4 days ­ $275 + HsT When coaches suggested she move up to the pre-novice division to compete against older, more-accomplished figure skaters, Natalie Walker thought this season would be more about development than adding to her medal collection. It ended up being both. The 11-year-old Oakville resident was second to 14-year-old Sarah-Maude Blanchard of Quebec at last week's Skate Canada Challenge in Montreal, which doubles as the Canadian championship for the pre-novice level. The national silver -- which suggests Walker is the best 11-year-old female figure skater in Canada -- came on the heels of gold-medal wins at competitions in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ottawa and Barrie earlier this season, and a bronze showing at the Central Ontario sectionals. "I went into this year thinking it would be a development year, and I was okay with not coming near the top and getting to know the level," said Walker, a member of Milton Skating Club who attends Milton's W.I. Dick elementary school in order to accommodate her 24-hours-a-week training schedule. Nancy Lemaire, one of her four coaches, said the decision to have Walker compete against older skaters was made to avoid complacency from the youngster, even if she was likely to win fewer gold medals. "Kids who have the ability need to challenge themselves regularly... It keeps them humble and working towards more, instead of being happy with where they are," Lemaire said. "If they are challenged, most kids who are competitive will step up to that challenge. If you're not pushed, you don't meet your personal (potential). You're just matching what the average person is doing." Walker's routine at the Skate Canada Challenge included double Axels, double flips and double Lutzes. She had been working on a triple toe loop prior to the meet, but chose to use jumps she was most comfortable with. "What she did, she did really well," Lemaire said. "We wanted her to be confident with what she had, so that her performance would carry her as opposed to having to be all about the technical element." Walker also rebounded well after falling during her routine. The ability to bounce back quickly at such a young age is an attribute that sets her apart from other skaters, her father Glenn said. "In the last group of girls to go out, I think every (skater) fell once, but the problem is a few of them lose their nerve," said Glenn. "Natalie had to get back up and land two more jumps after that. Had she not landed those, she wouldn't have been on the podium. A factor that Natalie seems to have that is a lot of these girls can do it in practice, a hundred or a thousand times, but Natalie shows up on game day." It's a mindset that can't be taught, according to Lemaire. "She's extremely focused and very positive. She doesn't let something that is a challenge in front of her bother her at all," said the coach. "I think she has so much potential, not just because of her talent, but also because of her work ethic and personality. She's a great friend to everyone on the ice, she's very encouraging to everybody else, she's extremely humble and very goal-oriented. She's going to be successful because of who she is, not because of what she's able to do." Walker, who is also coached by Pavol Porac, Ann Fisher and Paul Fisher, will not compete again until August, when she will move up again to novice. "I'll be going against high schoolers and Grade 8s," she said. "I want to compete with them. I want to push myself to their level." -- Like, share or comment on Oakville Beaver sports stories on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HaltonSports Ice dancers earn bronze, advance to nationals The Skate Oakville dance team of Gina Cipriano and Bradley Keeping-Myra earned bronze in the novice ice dance category at the Skate Canada Challenge, which qualified the duo for the national championships next month in Kingston. The team has only been together since May, with each member coming from different home bases to train under Skate Oakville competitive dance director Mark Bradshaw and coaches Roy Bradshaw and Debbie Lee. Cipriano relocated to Oakville from Florida, while Keeping-Myra hails from Nova Scotia and still represents the St. Margaret's Bay Skating Club. The Skate Canada Challenge is a Canadian championship at the pre-novice level, but a qualifier for the national finals at novice, junior and senior. see Pre-novice on p.33 w only a fe spots ! g remainin aPeXFootYLaB.com XFootYLaB.com POWERED BY Learn more anD register at Program Director: Dino LoPez