The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Kelly Carrington Staff Writer Three decades after becoming a member of the Flin Flon Skating Club, Carla Stoltz made her way back to the Whitney Forum. Stoltz joined the club when she was eight, in 1979, and skated in Flin Flon until she was 14. With great ability, the skater was named to Team Manitoba to skate in the Canada Winter Games. Stoltz skated her last season with the Flin Flon Skating Club when she was 14 as she moved to Winnipeg, and then beyond the Canadian border. Last week, Stoltz was a guest coach with the Flin Flon Skating Club as she was home on holidays. 'I'm really happy to be here,' said the now BC-based coach. 'I'm just glad to be back.' Stoltz took to the ice last Thursday afternoon to help bring the skaters back to the basics. 'Good basics are essential,' Stoltz said before heading out on the ice. Coaching skaters at other clubs isn't too far fetched for Stoltz as she travels to different clubs to help make them more efficient. See 'Home...' on pg. 13 Continued from pg. 5 In Flin Flon, Stoltz was just on holidays but stopped by the Whitney Forum. 'I'm loving it,' she said as she looked out onto the ice surface from the boards. 'I'm excited.' She hadn't stepped foot on the Whitney Forum ice since she was 17 years old. 'It's neat to (come) back and be on the ice here.' Thursday's practice had the Flin Flon skaters working on edges, spins, performance and group enrichment. Early Grasp Stoltz got the hang of figure skating early on, though her first step on the ice was a little shaky. Taking an opportunity when she was eight years old, Stoltz joined the Flin Flon Skating Club. Starting out later than many do, she'll never forget her first day. '...I went out on the ice (and) I had my guards on,' she laughed. 'And I fell.' Picking herself up, Stoltz moved on and started a career for herself. Moving from Team Manitoba and competing at the Canada Games, Stoltz later worked for a Las Vegas company doing ice shows. The former Flin Flonner lived in Mexico for two-and-a-half years and toured the six flags theme parks throughout the United States of America. Stoltz moved to BC in 1988 and began coaching. Today, the former skater coaches high performance athletes on the West Coast. Coaching for 26 years, Stoltz has just as much enjoyment watching her students compete. 'I still get nervous for them. I still wish I could do it for them,' she said. 'But I love it. I love to watch them succeed.' Though Stoltz was never able to win at the National level, she has been able to see some of her students compete and win. 'That was always my dream,' said Stoltz. 'I never got to get there, but I've had kids win it, so that was equally as exciting.' Helping out the younger and older athletes of the Flin Flon Skating Club, Stoltz says its important to never give up. 'Keep trying. It takes with you a lot of life skills, not just skating,' she said. Stoltz said she learned better communication and to work with others through skating. 'I think they are really lucky. They are in a great place to start (and) they've got some good coaching.' Stoltz reminds skaters that it's not just about testing and competing. There are options through things like Disney on Ice as well as coaching and many other avenues.
