Rolling in a speedy sport
by
Emma Masters
Driving past Mawson Lakes campus on any week night, you might be
surprised to spy a group of lycra-clad inline skaters racing around an
empty car park as they train for the next speed skating competition. And
if you look really closely, you might just recognise one of them –
Professor Stephen Cook, DSTO Professor of Systems Engineering.
A somewhat different and daring pastime for a man of his academic and professional status, speed skating has been Prof Cook’s passion for 12 years.
He said he loved being involved in a fun and healthy sport, and it also complemented his busy working life.
“I decided to start skating when I watched my eldest son Aaron compete at the National Speed Skating titles in 1993,” Prof Cook said.
“I looked at the Masters racing and said to myself, ‘that doesn’t look too hard, I’ll give it a go’.”
And there’s obviously speed skating blood running through the Cook family’s veins. His eldest two sons are national champions and have represented Australia overseas. His second son Robert, now 16, is representing Australia again this year at the World Championships in China. Meanwhile his youngest son Jeremy, who is nine, is also showing great promise. And Prof Cook said it was the family element that made it so worthwhile.
“The most rewarding aspect of speed skating is being able to spend quality time with my sons doing something that we all enjoy,” he said.
“I always liked skating as a child even though my involvement was purely recreational. It is essentially good fun and it is also ideal for building aerobic fitness and for weight control.”
Like his sons, Prof Cook has competed at a national level, recently winning seven gold medals and one silver medal and setting many personal best times at the National Speed Skating championships in February. He was also in the winning relay team at the Oceania Championships a couple of months ago, beating competitors from across Australia and New Zealand.
“I competed in the Masters B grade this year as I have for the last few years. This is for skaters over 30 who do not consider themselves strong enough for the Masters A grade. But after my wins at the nationals, I am now a Masters A skater!
It is little wonder he has done so well, given he trains with colleagues and his sons six to seven days a week for around an hour and half each day. With a small contingent of speed skaters in Adelaide, Prof Cook and his family are keeping the sport alive.
“Speed skating is in a rebuilding phase in SA and Team SkateFX is currently actively looking for new competitive and recreational skaters,” he said.
Contact Prof Cook, South Australian Vice President for Speed on (08) 8302 3818 for training times and locations.