Barbara Latkowski
Caledonia Courier
It’s a dream come true for Jamie MacDonald.
The 21-year-old from Fort St. James recently won a silver medal after competing in the women’s 500m at the ISU Wold Cup Short Track Skating Stage held in Calgary on Nov. 5 – 6.
MacDonald earned her best result so far in the World Cup Circuit with a personal best time of 42.9 seconds.
“It feels awesome,” MacDonald said. “My parents were there as well as my grandparents and my sister. I’m really glad I was able to share this with them.”
Keith Gordon from Fort St. James coached MacDonald from the time she was about 9-years-old until the age of 15.
“The winner, Elise Christie of Great Britain, skated a national record time in the race and is a former Olympian and former World Cup Champion. She was the only skater in the competition with approximately 50 women who had a faster time than Jamie,” Gordon said.
MacDonald won her first career individual medal, a bronze, at the sixth and last stage of last season’s World Cup.
She began her speed skating career with the Fort St. James Falcons when she was just 6-years-old. She is still a registered member of the club.
Since 16, MacDonald moved to Calgary to undergo intensive training at the Olympic Oval.
She now trains in Montreal at the National Training Centre.
For MacDonald, speed skating has become her passion.
“My neighbours recommended it to me,” MacDonald said. “And I just fell in love with it. I love the speed and it’s so unpredictable. It’s not over until the finish. It’s a battle to the very end.”
And it seems there will be many more battles MacDonald will be skating for in the future.
Her prior coach, Gordon, cannot be more proud of MacDonald’s accomplishments.
“The “home” crowd in Calgary were cheering wildly for her races,” Gordon said.
“It appeared that she used the crowd noise to make herself skate faster. It was great excitement.”