Jindabyne local and Dutch students skate with olympian
Twenty Canberra Dutch School students had the good fortune of skating alongside three time Dutch Speed skating Olympian, Jindabyne local Carla Zijlstra, at the Phillip Ice Skating Rink last Sunday.The event, which was part of the Dutch School Cultural program, was a huge success with all children improving their skating under the watchful eye of the one time European and Dutch National Champion.Ms Zijlstra stood out in the crowd with her “clapskates”, (speed skates where the heel is not fixed and can extend) and stylish white Montreal Winter Olympics 1976 jacket.
“I was only a young child when these Olympics were on!!” she was at pains to point out; having participated in the 1990, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympics. Zijlstra also teaches her own children to speak Dutch and sees the event with the school as an opportunity for them to socialise with other Dutch speakers of their own age.










