Sportrait

There's a secret reason why Susan Benning first took up figure skating as a young child.

"I wanted to wear a dress like my cousin," admits Benning, who was about four years old when she saw her relative skate in an ice show.

Her first skating coach turned out to be her aunt. Today, the native of Carberry, Man. is the head coach for the Weyburn Skating Club and currently oversees their Learn to Skate (also known as CanSkate) program, Pre-Prelim Bridging, power skating and Canadian Figure Skating Association test program participants.

Benning's own skating career has been a memorable one. After her involvement grew to the point where she sought coaching in Brandon, she became a member of the Manitoba provincial team when she was nine and skated with them for no less than seven years. As part of the Carberry Precision Team, Benning also competed at the national level and at one point earned a medal.

The highlight, however, came when she won her provincials as a pre-novice skater at age 13.

"I skated absolutely perfectly," she recalls of the victory, which led to a tryout for the Canada Winter Games. "It was the best skate I ever had."

Benning officially started coaching in 1990 and is now passing on her passion for the sport. "Working with the kids and trying to help them excel" is one of the rewarding aspects of her job, she says, besides the friendships and great people.

"And seeing them enjoy the sport I loved so much growing up."

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