Jacob Cryderman.
Jacob Cryderman can’t wait for the start of the Ontario Winter Games.
Not just because his chosen sport, figure skating, will be held at the Jack Bionda Arena on March 5, but because that appearance will mean he is finally healthy enough to compete.
The 17-year-old skater has had a very trying time the past few months preparing for his OWG appearance on home ice.
While training at the prestigious Mariposa School of Skating Cryderman suffered an ankle injury that forced him to take all of December off. He managed to get back on the ice in early January, but after only a few days back he developed a really bad case of Strep Throat. The illness kept him off skates up until two weeks ago.
Still, Cryderman, who calls the Huntsville Skating Cub his home club while he is living in Barrie, is confident he can get enough training in to be ready for the upcoming OWG figure skating event. “I am feeling a lot better now, but I still have a slight cough,” he said. “I have been doing my training programs, trying to get my cardio back, working on my consistency and (doing) strong landings. It’s going well right now.”
Cryderman said that like everyone, he wants to medal. He adds he’ll be focusing on his personal goals once he steps onto the familiar ice at The Jack. “I want to do basically a clean program and get some triples counted,” he said.
Cryderman isn’t the only one who feels he can overcome these obstacles to do well at the competition.
Janice Morgan, Cryderman’s coach at the Mariposa School since June 2008, agrees. She admits her pupil has had a tough go of things lately, but feels he has what it takes to do well at the Games.
“Jacob continues to remain positive and determined in his training. He is a very talented athlete with a lot of potential and is a real pleasure to work with,” she said. “I believe with some good solid training before the winter games he will be excited and ready to compete. He definitely has the potential to do well at the games and I’m excited for him.”
This will be Cryderman’s second time at the Ontario Winter Games. He competed at the event in 2004 when it was hosted in London. He didn’t win gold in 2004, but has always had it in his mind to return to the event.
Cryderman earned the right to represent the region at the OWG when he won the Northern Ontario Sectionals in 2009, held in Huntsville Oct. 28-29. He placed first in the men’s novice category, which qualified him for the Ontario Winter Games.
He’ll be seeking the gold medal along with 10 others in the novice men’s division.
“I am looking forward to it and to seeing what I can do in a short amount of training time,” he said. “Really, I have only a few weeks to work on my program but I am doing basically the same programs. And I am trying to get better every day.”
The competition begins in a little more than two weeks.