INNISFAIL - Nine-year-old Georgia Stevens is lacing her skates for success.
The Innisfail skater recently returned from Australia, where she lived for several years with her parents.
Georgia began skating at the age of four and skated down under for four years before making the move back to Innisfail in 2015.
Today Georgia skates in Red Deer, Innisfail and Edmonton for additional training and practises with coaches. Her success on the ice was seen from an early age, as Georgia was named the state champion for Queensland, Australia when she was just seven years old.
One of her most recent successes was being named to the 2016-17 Team Alberta junior development team at the Skate Canada Sectionals in Edmonton from Nov. 3 to 6.
Georgia's top six finish qualified her for Alberta's junior development team.
“They take the top six skaters aged 11 and under to represent the top skaters in Alberta. Georgia was in the top six,” said Cory Stevens, Georgia's father, noting her recent local recognition.
“She was selected by the Red Deer Skating Association and was presented an emerging star award by the mayor of Red Deer (Tara Veer),” he said.
Much of that success has come from Georgia's hard work and dedication, he noted, but can also be attributed to her athleticism, a trait that runs in the family.
“She's very athletic,” said Cory, noting both he and his wife Amy played competitive sports. “Her mom was competitive in figure skating and I was in hockey, but to Georgia's credit, she was very dedicated. She would skate six days a week and still does,” he said. “She goes skating sometimes in the morning before school and then after school.”
Georgia herself is thrilled to be selected for Team Alberta's junior development team and committed herself to achieve success in her young skating career.
“I'm very happy because I worked really hard for a long, long time and I've missed a lot of things to skate,” said Georgia, noting what she likes about the sport. “It's just really fun when I'm on the ice. I get to skate and when I land a jump it makes me really happy.”
Her favourite jump is an Axel or a double toe, she added, noting her role models growing up included her mother, four-time world champion figure skater Kurt Browning, who she has met in person, and 2014 Olympic silver medallist Patrick Chan.
“An Axel is pretty hard to learn,” she said.
Her hard work and dedication to skating have helped inspire the young Innisfail skater to reach for the top.
“I want to go to the Olympics or skate in Disney On Ice one day,” said Georgia. “I am dedicated to it. Even when I'm having a bad day I still like to go skating.”
Georgia Stevens
"I am dedicated to it. Even when I'm having a bad day I still like to go skating."
