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.
None of the residing members from Flin Flon's figure skating club are going to the national skating competition in the nation's capital from April 6-8, but the club does have a representative. Confused yet? Heather Bergin is a member of the club, but is living in Regina, and looks forward to representing both her hometown and club. "If I win it's good. I'd like to represent Flin Flon to the best of my abilities," Heather said. "My goals are higher than they were in provincials. You're always aiming to win Ð it's a guideline. I'm not saying I will because I don't want to disappoint my coach or myself." Cathy Wright, is the coach at Skate Regina, where Heather competes. She said she believes Heather will perform well. "I'm expecting in the first two programs that she can place in the top half," Wright said. "The free skate might be a challenge. She's just a stronger skater in other aspects. The free skate is the biggest challenge for anyone. " The only thing that is uncertain is how many skaters Heather will be up against. The 16-year-old heads to Ottawa as a member of the Star Skate National team representing Manitoba. To earn a berth in nationals, Heather won two of three events she skated in for the silver triathlon event and placed second in her interpretive. "She did a great job," Wright said. "She's really had a pretty good training season. She has trained more in Regina and has had a personal best year. She's a phenomenal skater." Since being in Regina, Heather skates eight hours a week and has honed her skills the entire year, which in the view of her coach, has helped quite a bit. "I feel I performed very well," said Heather. "My skates were good and I achieved my personal goals. Heading to nationals, Heather knows there will be hurdles to overcome, but she says she's her own hurdle. "Right now I'm not concerned about it," she said. "I just focus and know I can do it and that I have conquered things before." The experience she gained during provincials in Steinbach is something to build on. "It's not every day you get to go to Ottawa," Heather said with a smile. "It's a learning experience. I always enjoy learning and it builds up confidence." The key to her success is having fun and lots of hard work. "There's always hardwork involved," she said.
