CHANDLER, Ariz. — Olympic speed skaters can reach speeds of up to 35 mph and more. For a group of Valley athletes, they get to show off that speed and train on the ice, right in the middle of the desert.
There are about 16 skaters at the Phoenix Speed Skating Club and some have already made it to nationals and are hoping to speed into the Olympics someday.
Whether it’s a sibling rivalry at the rink or slicing the ice to lead the cross over the finish line, the energy gliding around this track is a rush for the Phoenix Speed Skating Club.
When their eyes are on skating with the world’s best, being laser focused here in the desert is what dedicated Valley athletes JT Salter and Lance Shafer hope puts them on the fast track to worldwide competitions someday.
“I’ve competed at a tournament in Arizona and I’ve also competed in Salt Lake, the Olympic Oval," Salter said.
The dream becomes even more real, when watching current record-holders compete in Beijing.
“They’re going so fast and they’re just so good at it," Salter said. "It’s a nice thing to look up to that I might be able to do someday.”
Club coaches said winning on the ice takes a simple start, an interest in skating and then wanting to get out on the ice. That all comes before the hard work kicks into gear.
It’s a discipline very different from figure skating and hockey. The coaches said speed skates are longer and are flatter than the other ice disciplines, so it's important to access edges to stay balanced.
And just focusing on those basics, while working in friendly competition at the rink, is generating competitive speeds and promising athletes like Salter and Shafer at the Phoenix club.
The Phoenix Speed Skating Club offers openings to try out the sport on Sunday mornings at the Ice Den in Chandler.
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