Karen Smith hears the sound of sharp blades scraping along ice five days a week.

The Lake Country resident is training to compete in the International Adult Figure Skating Competition, May 7, in Oberstdorf, Germany.

The 46-year-old, along with the other women of the Team Okanagan skating club, will be part of the competition and also a CBC documentary, called To The Worlds, which will showcase their journey.

The competition in Germany will have more than 500 competitors from 30 countries, all competing for a podium spot in their respective age categories.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 the largest competition for adult figure skaters during the year,害羞草研究所� said Smith, who has been skating for more than 40 years. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 very exciting, it害羞草研究所檚 something I never expected to have the opportunity to do so it害羞草研究所檚 really quite amazing.害羞草研究所�

The team consists of members from West Kelowna, Kelowna and Lake Country who range from 46 to 76. They practice at The Nexus in Lake Country, which Smith said offers an encouraging environment.

Her aim is to have a 100 per cent clean skate in the competition, which she said is very hard to do, but by training together with Team Okanagan, she finds encouragement and support.

害羞草研究所淭hat害羞草研究所檚 the goal, is to do every part of the program the best that you can possibly do.害羞草研究所�

The team started with three members six years ago, which gradually grew to include 13 core members with about five non-regulars.

害羞草研究所淲e had no idea that it was going to take off like this, and so many people are so interested in this,害羞草研究所� said Smith. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a neat way to challenge yourself, to have courage and try something you haven害羞草研究所檛 tried before.害羞草研究所�

In a noisy dressing room, pulling on skates after decades off the ice, Henrietta Penney, 75, said via the group害羞草研究所檚 news release, 害羞草研究所渋f we skate as well as we chat, we害羞草研究所檒l all win gold medals in Germany.害羞草研究所�

Wendy Ord, 59, of Lake Country, is skating to make her dad, 86, proud. 害羞草研究所淒ad skated in the Ice Capades back in the 1940s. All his life he wanted one of his four daughters to lace up skates. Now, I害羞草研究所檓 finally doing it.害羞草研究所� Ord and her fellow teammates all have deeply personal reasons for lacing up late in life, which they will share in To The Worlds, according to the news release.

The group害羞草研究所檚 dress rehearsal will be held May 1 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Winfield Arena. The documentary airs on CBC in January 2019.

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

carli.berry@kelownacapnews.com
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