Amanda Coder

Barriere speed skater Amanda Coder has been chalking up a number of impressive wins over the past few weeks.

In the BC Long Track Age Class Championships held in Dawson Creek on Jan. 13-14, Coder took the bronze medal placing third overall.

On the same weekend Coder also competed in the Junior Olympic Style competition where she placed third overall winning another bronze medal.

The Barriere Secondary School student turned in noteworthy performances, skating personal best times in two of her distances.

Coder's distances in Age Class are: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and 3000m.The Olympic Style distances are: 500m, 1000m, 1500m, and 3000m.

Coder also attended the Alberta Long Track Championships Jan. 20-21, where she once again skated personal best times in three of her distances.

The competition was skated mixed gender and age, based upon previous personal best times.

The wins have qualified Coder for the National Long Track Age Class Championships which are being held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Feb. 10-11.

She will be joined by six other speed skaters from the Kamloops Long Blades, where she is a member and trains.

Coder's mom, Diana, will be accompanying the team to Winnipeg as coach.

Barriere speed skater Amanda Coder shows the short track skates she will wear for competition.
...
Speed skating has become a passion for Barriere student Amanda Coder, a passion for putting blades to the ice that comes to her naturally from a family that shares her love of skating."My mother took me to the arena when I was about six years old, and my older sister Stacie was already a regular," commented Coder. Mom Diana is an accomplished skater, finding herself becoming active in all levels of coaching as her two daughters' progressed in the sport. Mom Diana says, "I started in 1977 and kept it up for most of the years, but took time out to have my girls."Before their move to Barriere the family moved to Valemount, BC, Diana started the Speed Skating Club there in 1991 to be sure her girls had the opportunity to continue their chosen sport.Besides being a coach, she is also Director of Advanced Programs for the BC Speed Skating Association. Amanda Coder is quick to point out that having her mom involved in skating gave her the extra encouragement and support to excel in the speed skating sport.Coder's father, Dean, now Barriere Secondary School Principal, is also a lover of the ice, playing the fast game of hockey in his free time.Attending a school where her father is the principal is fine with Coder.She says she has no problem with dad being her school principal and enjoys the fact that her father, "always encourges people to think outside of the box".A member of the Kamloops Long Blades Speed Skating Club Coder's most recent achievement is qualifying for the BC Winter Games in Short Track Speed Skating.To qualify she had to be one of the top three skaters in the Zone. (Each Province is divided into Zones). Excited and pleased to be chosen to compete in the Winter Games Coder says, "I do what I really like and I do it for myself". A member of the Provincial Development Team she qualified for a speed skating event in Saskatoon, Sask., in February, 2004 by being among the top four skaters in that group.A memorable trip to Saskatoon event had its lighter side when her sister Stacie became involved in an elevator that had stopped working in the eight story hotel the family was staying in. Although her sister was somewhat upset Amanda still finds it humorous when she tells the story.Sister Stacie attends the University of Calgary and is with the National Speed Skating Training Center in that city.This week Coder, her mother, and five members of the Long Blades Skating Club will be in Calgary competing in a two day competition there. Asked how she can get all her activities, three times a week training sessions in Kamloops, and her school work all fitted into her days, she smiles and says "it all works out, I do what I do because I want to".After Calgary this enthusiastic speed skater is looking forward to taking part in the BC Winter Games on Feb. 24 to 27.Asked what she feels like when she is poised at the starting line Coder smiles and says, "I get really nervous but that helps me to concentrate and I still am having fun."