Iqaluit-trained speedskater Sasha Fathoullin vies for national team

Calgary-based speedskater, Sasha Fathoullin, who began his career in Nunavut, is poised to fight for a spot on Canada's senior men's national team this weekend in Montreal.

"This is the top, top Canadian short track competition," he said from rinkside at the Maurice Richard Arena in Montreal.

"I think it's a big step forward in my career so far."

This weekend, Fathoullin will be be competing against Canada's top speedskaters: Olympic medallists Charles and François Hamelin, Olivier Jean, and Guillaume Bastille among others.

Does being in direct competition with athletes of that calibre faze him? Not at all.

"They are kind of like my heroes to look up to, but I will always chase them down and do my best to win," he said.

Fathoullin has reason to be confident. Fresh off netting four medals (three gold, one silver) at the junior nationals earlier this month, the 19-year-old has already had a long and successful career which has seen him compete as far away as China and South Korea. 

Nunavut roots

It all began in Iqaluit. His family moved to the city when he was six months old. He remembers forcing his way onto the ice when he was four, standing impatiently at rinkside as speedskaters practised. He was too young to join in.

"My first-ever coach, John Maurice, saw me banging and crying on the glass," said Fathoullin. "So he eventually let me on."

Bending the rules paid off, and Fathoullin took to the sport with ease. He still gives his first coach glowing praise.

"John Maurice is where it started," Fathoullin said of the Iqaluit-based coach, who still trains youngsters in speedskating at the Arctic Winter Games Arena.

"He's the guy who really really cared about my happiness on the ice and I think that translates into now."

Fathoullin's mother Gayle remembers those early days at the Iqaluit rink.

"There were many a cold Saturday morning spent at that arena," she says with a laugh by phone from her Calgary home.

"But sure enough, away Sasha went and he hasn't looked back since."

She says she even uprooted the family to Calgary so that Sasha and his older brother could have easier access to training facilities.

Northern memories

Though living in Calgary and training in Montreal, Iqaluit still has a special place in Fathoullin's heart.

"I miss just going out whenever I want to just play with my friends," he said. "Couldn't really do that anywhere else. [I would] just kind of go into someone's house without asking kind of and just kind of saying 'how' you doin' and what can we do today?'"

But now, he's all business. He'll be putting in a few more training sessions ahead of the competitions, which begin Friday night.