Bring home some gold

Times Contributor

 

Local figure skater Kennedy Zaytsoff is home and trying to get used to the time change after her two week adventure in Pyeong Chang, South Korea. Zaytsoff is a member of Team Canada Special Olympics figure skating team which left for competition in the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games on Jan. 24. She and her mom returned home on Feb. 6, which they had to endure twice because of the time difference. 

Zaytsoff began skating at the age of five and began competing in figure skating main stream at the age of seven.  The 17-year-old attends Holy Cross Collegiate and works as a program assistant with the CanSkate program.  

After years of mainstream competition and many medals under her belt, her coaches knew she was ready for something bigger.  When she made the decision to start training for the 2013 Winter Games there was no stopping her. Her local coaches Leanne and Lindsay Woodcock (a national competitor) worked Zaytsoff hard. Kathy Chiasson, Kennedy’s mom is overwhelmed with the time and effort so many people have put in to her daughter’s training.  Lindsay was instrumental in creating Zaytsoff’s solo for the games; Lindsay choreographed and practised with her until it was perfect. Along with her local coaches, Zaystoff trains with Barabra Prytai in Calgary. The training schedule is intense, two hours on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday with the occasional Thursday morning session thrown in.  

All of her hard work paid off when she returned home to Canada with two gold medals around her neck. Kennedy was entered in two categories at the Winter Olympics, free skate and dance. She came through the compulsory elements in first place for free skate where she went on to capture gold in her second day of competition.  

With a combined score in her dance solo she made it to the top of the podium again, taking gold in her division for dance. Zaytsoff said her favorite part of the games was “the whole experience, and dancing in the closing ceremonies with gold medal winners Una Kim and Michelle Kwan.” 

Zaytsoff was asked to skate in the closing ceremonies, which she was honoured to participate in. This added a lot of practices in preparation for the flash mob to Gangnam Style, which they performed on the last day of the Olympics.  

Zaytsoff’s schedule didn’t leave too much time to sight see, she had closed practices with Coach Janet Collins every day and scheduled time for visits with her mom. Between eating, sleeping and competing, she found some time to watch the Canadian team compete in speed skating.  The Canadian figure Skating team stayed for the first few days in the host town of Asan at the University. They were then moved to Gangneung where the athlete’s village was set up at Gangwon-do. Zaytsoff describes her living quarters as a mini apartment that she shared with other skaters. She often chose to eat rice for breakfast and lunch, but said the food was good and consisted mostly of Korean BBQ.  

Chiasson is very proud of all the work her daughter put into this unique, once-in-a-life opportunity, she was also impressed by the wealth and life style of the Korean culture. Without the support of The Strathmore Skate Club she would not have been able to accompany her daughter on this trip.  She will never forget everyone who helped make this possible. Zaytsoff’s plans for the near future involve a competition at the end of March in Lethbridge and then continuing her training so she can attend the 2017 Winter Games that will be held in Austria.