A Heritage Pointe area long track speedskater isn’t about to let a metal pole in Europe knock out his dream of competing for his country.
Cooper Hunter, 18, was named to Team Canada for both the 500m and 1,000m event at the World Junior Speedskating Championships in Collalbo, Italy in late February. However, a freak injury prevented him from competing.
“I was doing a practice run and I don’t know exactly how I fell,” Hunter said. “I hit this mat and it had like this highway railing on it and I hit my head on it.”
Hunter was concussed, but things would go from bad to worse for the young skater.
“I had all these doctors doing baseline tests and they sent them back to my doctor in Calgary to see if I could skate,” Hunter said. “They didn’t know if I would be able to compete because my doctor hadn’t seen the tests because of the time difference.”
Hunter prepared as if he would compete in Italy and took a practice skate. However, during the practice he pulled a hamstring — an injury he is still recovering from four weeks later.
Regardless, when the tests came back from Calgary, he would not have been able to skate because of his head injury.
It was a frustrating for Hunter after being so close to reaching his goal of skating for his country.
He had qualified for Team Canada during trials in January at the Olympic Oval in Calgary.
“It kind of all came together for me,” Hunter said. “I had struggled in previous years because of nerves.”
He finished first in the 500m at 36.46 seconds and second in the 1,000m at 1:13.70.
“Combining sprinters and all-around there were about 30 skaters,” Hunter said. “I did the 1,000m first and I was the first one to skate.”
He didn’t think he had posted a time fast enough to make Team Canada because it was slower than what his coach had anticipated would be the time needed.
“I put all my expectations on that time, so I was shocked when I didn’t make that time,” Hunter said. “Then I started watching the other skaters and they weren’t close to me, so I knew it had to be the ice or something.”
Although he finished second in the 1,000m he felt he had to win the 500m to make the team.
“That is my race — I knew that was my race,” Hunter said.
Although he won the 500m, that didn’t mean he could start saying “Ciao” to Italy. His combined time in the 500m and 1,000m was second to Stephan Dilger of Calgary. There were some concerns as to whether Canada would send one or two sprinters.
“I had about a week of no sleep as to whether I would get to go or not,” Hunter said. “I was really relieved to get the call… I had worked really hard for the last eight months for that.”
He had been knocking on the door for Team Canada in previous years, however, he upped the ante in regards to training and getting mentally ready for 2013.
Surprisingly, it was a disappointing finish at the Alberta high school track and field championships in the 200m that got him refocused on speed skating.
“I was really disappointed how I did and I told myself I’m tired of getting nervous (before a big event),” said Hunter, who graduated from Holy Trinity Academy last June. “In the past, I just got by on my talent and I didn’t have the work ethic to go with it. I worked at it, but I didn’t make it my lifestyle.”
He said he studied how other athletes, such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, handled the mental challenges.
“In 2012, I thought I had trained hard but at the (Canadian) trials I was 20th (in the 100m) and it was so disappointing,” Hunter said. “I wanted to start doing things different.”
Hunter added he did well in the 500m, but his 20th finish in the 1,000m put him fifth overall, three back of a spot on Team Canada.
He said he knows his hamstring and his head injury is a setback, but it is nothing like what one of his speedskating heroes from the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary had to endure.
American Dan Jensen had been informed of his sister’s death from cancer the night before the 500m at Calgary. Distracted, Jensen, the favourite in the event, fell on the first turn. He would fall again in the 1,000m in 1988.
It wouldn’t be until 1994 that Jensen would win an Olympic gold medal.
“That is one of my favourite stories — it is so inspirational,” Hunter said.
Hunter has been skating for the past 10 years and has competed internationally in Japan, Korea, Italy and the United States.
“I love to travel but I also like the training and the lifestyle,” Hunter said.
His training includes hitting the weights as well as running and skating drills to build his speed and endurance.
The training is evident in his legs.
The five-foot-eight, 150-pound skater has a 57cm circumference right thigh.
Hunter has one more year eligibility as a Junior and he is setting his sights on making Team Canada in 2014 for the world championships in Norway.
