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VIDEO: Surrey Khalsa School honours 11-year-old speed skater

Grade 6 student Prabhnoor Grewal competed in the B.C. Long Track Championship Jan. 19 and 20

Prabhnoor Grewal, a student at Khalsa School Old Yale Road, says she’s never had an assembly meant just for her.

That was until now.

Roughly 800 students and their teachers honoured Prabhnoor, 11, on Tuesday (Jan. 22), following her second-place performance at the 2019 B.C. Long Track Championship in Fort St. John on Jan. 19 and 20.

Students created signs for Prabhnoor, welcoming her back to school and congratulating her on the championship. She was brought in by several students playing the drums.

Prabhnoor said the assembly was “great.”

“But I felt so scared to actually speak… I’ve never had an assembly just for me.”

Prabhnoor said Saturday, Jan. 19 was the first day of the competition and she got “second position” in all of her races. On the second day (Jan. 20), Prabhnoor said she got second position in most races, but in one race she placed first and in her last race she placed third.

“I’m really happy even though I didn’t get gold because I’m looking forward for gold next year,” she said.

The Grade 6 student said she began ice skating in 2012 at the age of four. Once she started improving, Prabhnoor said it was in 2016 that her dad wanted her to try speed skating.

From there, Prabhnoor said she just kept improving and progressing, and getting “faster and faster.”

Khalsa School Old Yale Road principal Kamalpreet Kaur Baga said she’d been waiting for Prabhnoor’s results over the weekend.

“Prabhnoor’s dad, Bimal Singh Grewal, he was sending the updates to me and every moment, I was praying, ‘Prabhnoor you have to win, you have to win.’ When I received that message, I didn’t know what to do. I was at home. I was jumping. I wanted to hug somebody,” Baga said.

“She has made the Sikh community proud.”

Baga said credit goes to Prabhnoor’s family, teachers and coaches.

“She is focused. She is so committed and determined. I have seen her grow from kindergarten to Grade 6,” Baga said. “She is a role model for all of you.”

As a prize, Baga said Prabhnoor will be receiving $500 from the school for her hard work.

When congratulated for Prabhnoor’s commitment and determination, Prabhnoor’s dad, Bimal Grewal, said all he wanted for Prabhnoor was for her to “maintain being humble and generous.”

Grewal said getting to attend the championship with Prabhnoor over the weekend was an “awesome experience.” He said the two plan to go back in August for a training camp while some Olympians train at the rink in Fort St. John.

Getting to meet Olympians would bode well for Prabhnoor, who says her dream is to one day make it to the Olympics.

I want to go further as a speed skater and I want to make it to the Olympics and win a gold (medal).”

But for now, Prabhnoor said she her goal is to win gold in her next long track competition.

READ ALSO: Surrey man named B.C. coach of the year for making speed skaters more sharp, May 28, 2018



lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com

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15258105_web1_190124-SNW-M-KhalsaSchool-SpeedSkating-PrabhnoorGrewal-lc-jan22
Prabhnoor Kaur Grewal, a Grade 6 student at Khalsa School Old Yale Road, received a warm welcome when returning to school on Tuesday (Jan. 22) following her second-place finish in the B.C. Long Track Championships in Fort St. John Jan. 19 and 20. (Photo: Lauren Collins)
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Prabhnoor Kaur Grewal, a Grade 6 student at Khalsa School Old Yale Road, received a warm welcome when returning to school on Tuesday (Jan. 22) following her second-place finish in the B.C. Long Track Championships in Fort St. John Jan. 19 and 20. (Photo: Lauren Collins)


Lauren Collins

About the Author: Lauren Collins

I'm a provincial reporter for Black Press Media's national team, after my journalism career took me across B.C. since I was 19 years old.
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