Flying the Flag for South Africa

RSA Figure Skater Kim Falconer

TRENTO – South Africa: deserts, safaris and… figure skating? It is not, perhaps, the first sport that comes to mind when thinking of South Africa. For skater Kim Falconer, however, it has been a passion since childhood.

So how does a South African start figure skating? Kim explained: “It’s not common in South Africa at all. When I was little my parents took me to an ice show and afterwards I said, ‘That’s what I am going to do, I am going to be a figure skater’. I begged and begged for three years and eventually started at the age of ten.”

Kim is, in fact, the whole of team South Africa. This is not usual at a Winter Universiade, but for the South African, it has not deterred from the experience. “We have fun, it’s been great,” she said. “There were two of us in Erzurum in 2011. The other figure skater was ranked first and was the flag bearer in the ceremony; this time as the only athlete it was my turn!”

With two years still to go at University, it is possible that Kim will compete in the Winter Universiade in Granada in two years time. This is dependent on her university, who are not lenient in letting her train. Ultimately, though, she is aiming even higher, “I would like to qualify for the Four Continents (Figure Skating Championships). But will I get there? I’m not sure; it will take a lot of work and time but that is my main goal.”

Toby Fisher, FISU Young Reporter