Taranaki roller skaters making their way to Oceania Championship – Stuff

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Karen Hardy, left, Ella Birkett and Alexis O'Doherty recently competed in the Artistic Roller Skating Champs and have all qualified for the Oceania championships in Whanganui next month, along with three other skaters from Hwera.

Alexis ODoherty began artistic roller skating after watching her mum compete now shes made her way to the world stage.

The 14-year-old is a member of the New Plymouth Artistic Roller-Skating Club and recently won her first title at the national championships in Blenheim.

It was pretty good and I cried.

Now she is one of six from Taranaki heading to the Oceania Artistic Skating Championships in Whanganui next month.

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But she wasnt a natural skater said her mum Michelle ODoherty, who was a competitive skater her entire life.

She was determined not to skate.

She would come to competitions with me and one day after nationals she came to me and said oh mum maybe I will skate.

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Alexis O'Doherty didnt want to be a skater but after watching her mum compete she has been committed to the sport ever since.

So she started learning at four years old and now spends six days a week training at the East End skating rink.

Only, shes never too far from her mum who is also her skating coach.

Michelle is a part of the New Zealand skating committee and also coaches 18 students in Taranaki.

Part of that bunch is 53-year-old Karen Hardy, who has also qualified for the Oceania champs.

Hardy has been skating since she was nine months old, as her dad owned a skating rink in her homeland of South Africa and held her up as she shuffled along.

I skated up until I was 14, and then I stopped for 37 years.

Hardy got back in the rink after she met Michelle, who convinced her to put the skates back on.

She has since been successful in the skating world and also walked away with a national title at the competition in Blenheim.

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Ella Birkett came second at the national champs, which saw her qualify for the Oceania champs.

Another of Michelles skaters, Ella Birkett, 15, also competed in the national competition and walked away with a silver medal, earning a spot in the Oceania champs too.

Ella and Alexis grew up together and have competed against each other since they were young.

Ella and Alexis are at the same grade, so they are competitors, but they are also great friends, Michelle said.

Alexis, Ella and Hardy are all now fundraising for the Oceania champs next month, where they will be joined by Ayla Bond, Elizabeth Cudby, and Chrissy Southey, all of Hwera.

Its the first time Taranaki has had this many skaters at that competition.

Weve only ever had two from the Taranaki region, so we have done really well.

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Taranaki roller skaters making their way to Oceania Championship - Stuff