SKATE WITH DESTINY
Kaleb Benney and Hunter Boland have got their skates on and are turning heads on the ice hockey circuit, winning titles at home and abroad
A couple of Gold Coast players have skated to victory on the big stage – and have dreams of further glory in their chosen sport TWO youngsters from a Gold Coast ice hockey club have been hitting the rink internationally and winning gold.
Kaleb Benney, 12, and Hunter Boland, 11, from Grizzlys Ice Hockey Club in Bundall (pictured far right) are only young, but already they have been competing around the globe.
Hunter’s first trip was in 2017 to Hong Kong where he helped his team, The International North Stars, win gold.
He went back to Hong Kong in July and played for Malaysian team Puck Moose.
But his achievements didn’t stop there.
Towards the end of last year he played for a team called NSA Selects, made up of four Australians and some Canadian kids, and they won bronze in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Hunter then played in Singapore in February and March and won in his age group.
“I first started ice skating and then I watched an ice hockey game and I really wanted to
play,” he said. “I loved it and started to learn really quickly.” Kaleb has also been making big achievements.
In January this year, he was selected to play in the Ice Skating Australia National Development Camp.
The weeklong camp is designed for elite players across all of Australia who undertake intense training. Soon after the camp, he travelled to Canada to represent the Queensland Cyclones.
The under-14s made history as they won gold. “Representing Queensland is really cool,” he said. “Canada was amazing, with the gold medal win we brought home at the international tournament.”
Both boys have been training at the Bundall ice skating rink called Iceland with the Gold Coast Grizzlys Ice Hockey Club.
Kaleb has been there for the past four years, while Hunter has been there for five. “Dad used to play when he was young and Mum just asked if I wanted to give it a go. I went to training and been into it ever since,” Kaleb said.
“It’s really fast and you have to think on the spot.” But the boys have had to do a lot of hard work to perform at the level they are at — often spending hours a day training and practising.
They are trained by Grizzlys coach Steve Harris.
Hunter said he trains as much as he can, even squishing in sessions before and after school.
“I train here with my local team. I have a net at home and practise at least two hours a day,” he said.
“If I don’t have school, maybe three hours and that’s every day.”
Kaleb said he typically played once a week and trained frequently.
Both of the boys are hoping all of their determination and hard work will pay off one day when they become professional players.
“I want to be in the best league in Australia. My dream is moving to Canada,” Hunter said.
Kaleb wants to also, but is thinking about joining the army when he finishes high school.
The club was founded in 1996 when Iceland in Bundall first opened.
Since then the Grizzlys have produced a number of state and national players.
The club is one of three in southeast Queensland.
The club trains 30 of the Gold Coast’s junior players, aged between 6-16-years-old.
If you have ever thought about taking up ice skating or hockey, they are always looking for new talent.
For more information, contact the club at
grizzlyspresident@gmail.com