A team of 18 Dunedin skaters will contest the national ice-skating championships this weekend — although one of those is heading even further afield.
Auckland will be just the first of three stops for Sue Hoseit.
After being the oldest competitor at the New Zealand championships, the 70-year-old will leave for Canada tomorrow.
There she will compete in the International Adult Figure Skating Competition in Vancouver.
From there she will go on to Bled, Slovenia, to compete in an interclub competition similar to New Zealand’s Masters Games.
Hoseit has been to various events around the world, which have become more popular as adults’ figure skating continues to grow.
This time, she is going with New Zealand Ice Skating CEO Jeanette King.
However, her reasoning behind going to Vancouver proved to be in vain.
"I had never been to Vancouver," she said.
"I was going there because my coach from my Sydney days — which was 50 years ago — lived there, but she’s moved."
Hoseit was often the only one in her age category, so she made it competitive by trying to better her last score.
She would have a fellow competitor in Slovenia, though, a woman from the Czech Republic who is 74.
She enjoyed the meetings and while figure skating at 70 was no mean feat, the trips were part of what kept her going.
"It’s kind of like meeting up with everyone again. That’s the really nice bit.
"It’s like a little family of crazy skaters.
"The World Masters Winter Games is in Innsbruck in January 2020, that’s the target.
"Its the very first time figure skating has been part of the World Masters Winter Games so it’s like ‘yay, everyone’s going’."
Alongside that, she said it was good to keep active and ice-skating was a great way to ensure she did that.
"It’s not the easiest sport in the world; it’s slightly difficult.
"But if I wasn’t doing this, I don’t think I would be as fit as I am.
"It makes me do a lot of fitness stuff to stay fit to skate.
"We have to keep doing it. These ageing bodies are a challenge."
Alongside Hoseit, a strong team of Dunedin youngsters will compete at the national championships, which begin today and run until Tuesday.
Dunedin team
for the national champs
Lucie Holtz, Tim Bradfield, Nerin Cornwell, Reuben Dougherty, Bethan Buckby, Rosie Maley, Aimee Pickford, Briar Short, Jazmyn Evangelou, Brooke Cathro, Misaki Joe, Hannah Sime, Rebekah Sime, Asia Tapealava, Sarah MacGibbon, Fiona Pickering, Karl Hewitt, Sue Hoseit
