CARSTAIRS - Haru Pearse of Carstairs has qualified for the 2020 Alberta Winter Games after finishing first at a recent qualifying event.
Pearse, a student at Hugh Sutherland School, earned top points in her category (Star 8) for Zone 2. The run-off qualifier event took place last month in Cochrane.
“The competition was an amazing experience and I had a lot of fun,” said Pearse. “I’m excited to represent our zone at the Winter Games next month.”
Pearse managed to finish ahead of 20 other skaters who competed in the run-off to qualify for the Alberta Winter Games, which will be held in February in Airdrie.
Pearse was very excited about qualifying for the Games.
“Before I competed I knew I would make it to the Games only if I got all my elements done in my program,” she said.
Pearse got into skating at a very young age.
“When I was younger I tried many activities but skating was my favourite sport since I was five,” she said. “My favourite part of figure skating would be the rewarding feeling after I have achieved an element that I have been working on.”
Pearse used to attend both Midway School and Reed Ranch School near Olds. She has skated with both the Olds Skating Club and the Carstairs Skating Club.
She currently trains with a club, Huntington Hills, in Calgary.
She enjoys small-town living and all the friendly people.
“I like living in a small community and going to a small school because everyone knows you and they’re all supportive and nice,” she said.
“I have really enjoyed going to all these small schools because the teachers and students really get to know you well.”
Pearse’s goals heading into the Winter Games are to get her combination jumps completed in her program.
“My combination jumps are an Axel-double loop, double flip-double toe loop and my double Salchow-double toe loop,” she said. “Along with that, I would like to get my double Lutz jump and my spins done too.”
Last year, she made it to the sectionals championship, which is provincial level, in juvenile.
She already has enough points to go to the 2021 sectionals championship in pre-novice.
