By Kara Martens
The University of Calgary will be well represented at this weekend’s World Cup of Speed Skating event. With first-class facilities on site, it is natural that our student body and alumni is replete with some of the fastest bodies on ice. So Pete Volcic, a man with the energy and ambition to make his mark in any rink, can count himself in good company.
"Right now my ambition is to win a world championship and then change the world… or become prime minister," he announces.
Volcic may not be modest but this comes after 14 years of success in speed skating.
"Right away I loved it," claims Volcic. "When I was a kid, like all Canadian boys, I wanted to play hockey, to be an NHL superstar."
Volcic’s brother convinced him to try out the speed skates and he has been hooked ever since.
"First, I thought, this sport is ridiculous, right. But I tried it and I was really fast. I liked that."
The love of speed and the added attraction of winning a number of local awards gave Volcic a reason to continue with the sport. Local wins led to provincial competitions and then nationals.
"I went on to nationals and was always in the top five," says Volcic. "I won a lot and that helped my love of the sport."
One highlight of his career was traveling to the junior world championships in Minnesota two years ago. This experience helped in his movement up the national team ranks. Now in senior group B for the 5000m at the World Cup, Volcic hopes to move into group A and into greater distances.
"My goal is to skate all the distances," says Volcic.
Volcic has lived in Calgary for the past three years and attended the University of Calgary part time for the past two.
"I am interested in a few things. I am at the mid-point of deciding [on a major]," Volcic comments on his academic career. "I like math and science, so maybe engineering… or something medical. I want to change the world in some respect. But right now school has taken a backseat [to speed skating]."