Sungod Skater Reaching for the Skies

Source: North Delta Reporter

Watching Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Patrick Chan and others compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics, five year old Pareena Sidhu sat mesmerized in front of the TV.

She recalls today “loving the way they could glide across the ice, and their jumping and spinning.” Pareena soon convinced her parents, Harman and Jas, to let her try getting onto the ice with the Sungod Skating Club.

Now 13 and active in the Pre-Novice division, the young Delta resident is writing her own skating story. She not only competes, but also helps coach younger skaters in the CanSkate program. Here’s some of the things she loves about being part of the Sungod club:

Skating time is the best time –At the rink six days a week, including five evening workouts and one off-ice session, Pareena always looks forward to her trips to Sungod Arena. “I just like the feeling of being out on the ice. It’s a feeling that you can’t seem to get anywhere else,” she says.

Competing offers physical and mental tests –Pareena enjoys showing how well she’s learned her current routine. Currently working on nailing a tricky double axel jump, she’s also trying to perfect her double-double combo: two double jumps performed back-to-back. Guiding her is the club’s director of skating programs, Kevin Bursey, who Pareena calls a “very good coach who inspires me and makes me want to work harder.”

A chance to work on her fashion sense Now that she’s moving up the ranks competitively, Pareena gets more say in what she wears on the ice: “Some of the costumes I get to wear are really cool!”

Young skaters bring back memories – Pareena very much enjoys being a CanSkate assistant, which “gives me memories of when I was younger and how I had my first glide.” Working with beginners also helps her understand where the club’s hard-working and committed coaches are coming from, she says.

Harman Sidhu, president of the Sungod Skating Club, says their family wasn’t involved in skating until Pareena’s older sister joined and completed CanSkate. All three Sidhu children have come through the program: Pareena’s sister moved on to dance, while her younger brother is into snowboarding and other sports. CanSkate helped them learn balance and feel more comfortable on skates, Harman says, a skill that comes in handy on those school field trips to the arena, or if you take up hockey.

She can’t say enough about the benefits Pareena is getting with the club. “I feel she’s in a safe environment. She’s physically active, there’s discipline and she’s learning life skills while doing something she loves. She’s part of a big skating family.”