“Team is family.”
That is the motto for the inline speed skating team in Manitowoc, who will be competing in their first competition this Sunday.
The team, unofficially known as the Rollaire Raptors, are coached by Carly Valdez, who has a lengthy, successful, history in the sport.
Valdez began skating competitively at 12-years-old, with her first meet being a regional competition.
“I had only really practiced for a few months before then, and my coaches kinda threw me into the water,” Valdez explained to Seehafer News. “I skated three events, and placed in all three events…which is extremely rare to do.”
Valdez went on to win 7 regional and national medals and was a sponsored skater by the time she stopped competing.
Now she is the coach for a group of young men and women, most of which have never competed before.
The family mentality of this team is more than just a saying as Valdez’s niece is on the team, and there are multiple siblings skating together.
“My team mom…her son skates for me, and her daughter is my youngest skater. She’s four,” Valdez said. “She had mentioned to me earlier that skating has brought their family together on a level that she couldn’t even imagine…We all have come together so closely.”
The skater with the most experience is Abby Barnett, who has been skating in competitions for the past 8 years.
Abby told us she has been “competing regionally for two years, and I did marathons in the summer.”
She will be leading the team into Cedarburg on Sunday.
We spoke with Zakia Kalista and Dakota Backus, who said they are excited for this weekend.
Zakia said that she has “been nervous, but I’m getting over that”, while Dakota told us he has loved preparing for the competition.
He said that if it weren’t for skating “I wouldn’t be doing anything.”
Valdez explained that the competition is all individual-based, but there are team-based strategies and tactics that can be used during the race.
She has high hopes for her skaters on Sunday.
“They have been training nonstop…since April,” Valdez explained. “They are really going to kick some butt. I think they are really going to surprise themselves.”
Coach Valdez also told Seehafer News that she will be selecting their team captain ahead of the meet.
She already knows who will receive the honor, and has been hyping the team up.
The skaters competing this weekend include Madalynn Qualman, Tessa VanEperen, Raheem Butler, Angelina Junk, Abbey Barnett, Owen Garcia, Randy Backus, Dakota Backus, Javonte Bastian, Zakia Kalista, and Aidan Centner.
We will have the results of the meet on Monday both on the air on 107.9 FM WOMT, and 97.1 FM WCUB, as well as here at SeehaferNews.com.
