International competition awaits a pair of Foothills area sisters in Chile next week.
Foothills County residents Megan and Sofia Pelkey are part of Team Canada’s entry at the International Water Ski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) Pan American Water Ski Championships in Santiago, Chile.
“I think it will be really fun and the sites will be good,” said Sofia Pelkey. “And my hard training and all of the work will also pay off goodly.”
The sisters have been training in Orlando, Florida at the Matt Rini Waterski School under the tutelage of coach Rini and Cole Grant before making the trek to South America.
“It’s been exciting getting ready for Pan Ams and a little nerve-racking too,” Sofia said. “And I’m just training hard.”
Training has been built around making Sofia’s trick runs faster and more consistent, for slalom it’s encompassed running more buoys at faster speeds and extended her distance in jumps.
Sofia, 11, found out she made Team Canada at the beginning of October, which was a bit of an unexpected surprise for the family.
“It wasn’t late notice, but we had actually put all of her ski stuff away and then we got the call,” said Sandra Pelkey, Megan and Sofia’s mom. “It was just a scramble to get everything organized and get her down here.”
The younger Pelkey will be competing in jump, slalom, trick and overall at the competition, and doing so in the U14 ranks.
Megan is no stranger to the Pan Am stage, having won gold in overall, silver in jump, bronze in slalom and helping Team Canada to finish first at the 2021 event in Boca Laguna, Mexico.
This year, Megan will be moving up to the U17 division.
“I feel good about this year,” she said. “It will be interesting to compete in an older age group, but I’m excited.
“I think it will be really cool, I’m excited to compete down there and my hard work will pay off, hopefully.”
For Megan, training has emphasized on solidifying all of her skills to put herself in a position to thrive at the championships.
Megan added she’s excited to see her sister compete on the international stage for the first time and to get the chance to cheer her on in competition.
And what better place to experience both athletics and culture.
“It will be nice to see the sites and experience the culture down there,” Megan added.
The Pan American Championships run from Nov. 27 to Dec. 4.
For more information, go to waterskicanada.ca.
