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MONTREAL
A Fort Simpson speedskater has finished a successful season by racing in a national competition.

Madison Pilling of Fort Simpson competes in the Canadian Age-Class Short Track Championships in Montreal earlier this month. This was Pilling's first year at the national event. - photo courtesy of Patrice Lapointe/fotosports.ca

This was the first year Madison Pilling, 16, skated in the Canadian Age-Class Short Track Championships. Pilling, along with two other skaters – Dominique Bennett and Hannah Clark of Yellowknife – represented the NWT at the event in Montreal from March 8 to 10.

"It was really fun and it was really good to get to race against people from all over the place," said Pilling.

The championships are one of Canada's premier national short track events for skaters aged 15 and older. There was definitely a very high level of competition, said Pilling who raced in the junior B class. To qualify for the event, skaters had to meet set time standards.

Pilling competed in the 500-, 1,000-, 1,500- and 3,000-metre point races. The event was a good learning opportunity, she said.

"You're doing a lot of strategy. A lot of blocking and passing," said Pilling.

Skaters also can't relax in their heats. How you do in the distances at the beginning of the championship can affect the entire competition for you, she said.

Pilling raced in the C or D semi-finals and finals in most of her distances. She's not sure where she placed overall, but knows it wasn't as high in the rankings as she'd hoped.

"It was definitely eye opening," she said.

Pilling also wasn't racing as fast as she would have liked to as a result of a bad crash at Winterfest in Calgary in February. During her third race of the weekend, Madison took out another skater and that athlete's skates hit her knee leaving deep muscles bruises.

It could have been worse. Without the cut-proof suit her parents bought her, Pilling said she would have needed a lot of stitches. Pilling was still using crutches, however, a week before flying to Montreal.

Before the crash, Pilling was expecting Winterfest to be her best competition of the season. However it was her performance in Calgary's Oktoberfest in October where she achieved personal bests in each distance.

Pilling competed in four short-track and three long-track competitions during the season. This was her first year doing long track, which is skated on a larger oval with different blades and less protective gear.

Pilling said she had a good season and that she will be working next year to get better personal bests. This is the second year the Fort Simpson athlete has trained in Prince George, B.C.

She plans to return to Prince George for at least the first high school semester next September, but would like to graduate in her home community.

Pilling hopes to continue speedskating until at least the 2015 Canada Winter Games that will be held in Prince George and then decide how she will proceed with her chosen sport.

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