While WA isn’t known for its snow and ice, a dedicated bunch of athletes is not letting that get in the way of their love of iconic winter sports. The Western Flames Ice Racing Club is using its passion and Healthway support to punch well above its weight.
The club is small, tight knit and ambitious. Beginners train alongside world cup competitors and dedicated coaches, including a New Zealand Olympian. Young skaters don’t just see success, they see the work behind it.
Club President Farah Tan knows this well. As a busy GP and mum to 14-year-old racer Rachel. She understands the physical demands of the sport.
“Racing on ice is the closest you can get to skiing a black run in WA,” Farah said.
“It’s a lower body sport – where you’re fighting centrifugal force to slingshot round the corner leaning 30 degrees to the ice sometimes at 40 to 50 km an hour. And that requires enormous leg strength.”
Farah could also see the number of calories they were burning and how critical it is for the kids to eat well, something that they aren’t always keen to do with training sessions starting at 6.30am and heavy foods often making them nauseous.
In Melbourne, when they attended National competitions for a whole day of racing, Farah noted the default position was to grab fast food and energy drinks, which didn’t meet their needs. So, Farah applied for Healthway funding to support dietician-led sessions to educate both parents and kids about what to eat, when and how much, as well as help the club provide healthy food options for training and race days.
It worked. With no onsite canteen, club volunteers provide easy-to-digest snacks like fruit, yoghurt, pancakes, pikelets and pretzels. It strikes a balance between being relatively light but satisfying, with enough energy to sustain them over extended periods.
Meanwhile, Rachel, who has been selected for the Australian high-performance team, has quickly seen the impact of healthy eating on her performance.
“I’ve learnt that food nourishes me and allows me to race harder and longer,” she said.
“And when I don’t eat properly, I know I can’t do as well and don’t have the energy to push through.”
At the end of the day, Farah said the kids learn by example. “They want to get faster and they look up to their champions,” she said.
“We had a Zoom call with Australian Olympian Brendan Corey while he was competing at the World Championships in Canada.
“He shared practical healthy eating tips on fuelling the body. And that’s the kind of advice they remember,” Farah said.
By combining strong role modelling, education and evidence-based choices, we’re setting them up for success in sport and in life.
– Farah Tan, Club President, Western Flames Ice Racing Club.
