Team Illini Looking to Bring More Competitive Skating Events to Illini Skateland; Latest was April 5th & 6th

Danville does indeed have the long running tradition of hosting the Division II Junior College basketball tournament at DACC.  But Illini Skateland, and the Team Illini competitive speed skating squad, wants the tradition of hosting roller speed skating invitationals to continue.  The latest they hosted was the Land of Lincoln Invitational during the weekend of April 5th and 6th.  CIMG’s own Gary Hackler was out there talking to competitors of all ages.  One of them was Lanie Jackson of Alexandria, Indiana; who just loves the friends she makes in this sport.

AUDIO: There’s a lot of great aspects about skating.  But one of my favorites is the people that I have gotten to meet over the last couple of year, and the people I have gotten close with.

Macahla Jackson came all the way from Washington State.  She’s skated for numerous teams around the country, including Team Illini.  And now, at age 20, she’s already making plans to stay in the sport for a long time.

AUDIO: You know I did my time, really hard core, when I was younger.  I made world team and went to Barcelona, Spain to compete at Worlds.  And I was 26th out of 55 in the world for the long distance races.  So that was definitely an experience that I will never forget.  But now I’m a ref, and I’m working on getting my coaching credentials.

Then, Gary Hackler had a chance to speak with ten year old Weston Gibson from Kentucky.

AUDIO: I normally like making new friends, and like traveling to other different places.  And I also like racing; and I also like doing other stuff.  GARY: Is it hard.  Yes, sometimes it’s really hard.  Gary: What do you do to train? I usually train like two hours a day at practice.  And I also do this conditioning thing; where  I work out with like weights and everything, and sprints and everything.

Illini Skateland Co-Owner Lisa Dunham talked about both the health benefits of skating, along with how it’s a sport that entire families can be involved in together.

AUDIO: I’m very passionate about roller skating in general.  I think roller skating is one best exercises out there for you in the world.  It’s actually high up in the American Heart Association, low impact on your knees and your joints; so it’s really good for skating.  My dad was a speed skater too.  So we had one event, where my dad came out and raced one race.  He only did one.  And then I competed that day, and both of my sons competed.  So if was just so cool that it was something we could do as a family.

And Dunham pointed out that during the Lincoln Roller Speed Skating Invitational April 5th and 6th; the youngest competitor was four, while the oldest was right around 80.