Age no barrier for this ice skating mum on a mission
She comes from a country best known for its sun and sand. But it’s a winter sport this Sydney mum is excelling in.
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A decision to do something to warm up because she was cold has proved life changing for Castle Hill mother Luciana Macedo.
Six years ago Macedo decided she needed to do some exercise to warm herself up because it was too cold to sit and wait at the ice rink while her daughter trained.
“I decided to do some physical activity and give it a try myself because it looked so fun,” said Macedo, who was 41 when she decided to hit the ice for the first time.
“I am from Brazil where there is no skating.
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“I was not that good. I could go forward and backwards. I could barely do a cross over.
“I started in level three with the little ones. They were about 10 with 12 the oldest.
“But I just loved it.”
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Flash forward six years and the Penrith Valley club skater is now competing regularly and with great success and has plans to contest her first international event in Germany later this year.
In 2019 she won a state title in the Bronze Ladies category and triumphed at the Australian Masters Games in both artistic and free skating programs.
This year she represented Australia at the Winter World Masters Games in Innsbruck, Austria, where she finished second in the Artistic Program and won the Free Skating Program while the Australian team secured a total of 18 medals.
“I do training mostly over the weekend because I work full-time,” said Macedo, who trains at the Penrith ice rink and works at North Ryde.
“Closer to competitions I have extra two hour sessions during the week.
“I would normally do four hours a week and in competition about six hours.”
Macedo said she was a convert to skating from the start.
“It became a passion in the family. It is part of our life now. It helps fitness but it helps also with mental health.
“It gives you a purpose. Working for competitions is like a long-term project. You set a goal and work towards it. It becomes a big personal project that keeps you motivated.’’