Women
CAN
Abigail Mccluskey
CAN- Date of birth26 Jul 1996
- HeightN/A
- ProfessionAthlete
- HometownCalgary
- Place of birthPenticton
- Start skatingShe began skating in Kelowna, BC, Canada. She got involved in short track at age 14, and took up speed skating at age 16. "I was born and raised in Penticton. When I was 14, I decided I wanted to start speed skating and the closest club was in Kelowna. Grade 10 and 11 [training] was twice a week and by grade 12, I was up there three days a week until I graduated high school. And then I moved to Calgary."
- Club Kelowna Speed Skating Club: Canada
- HobbiesCrafting, spending time with her dog, baking. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023; speedskating.ca, 03 Feb 2022)
- LanguagesEnglish
- Other nameAbbers, Gail (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
- CoachN/A
- Former CoachN/A
- General Interest
- Sport Specific Information
In 2019 and 2020 she was named Female Long Track Speed Skater of the Year - National by the British Columbia Speed Skating Association in Canada. She also received the award at provincial level in 2016 and 2017. (speedskatingbc.ca, 01 Jan 2022)
"The harder I work, the luckier I get." (Athlete, 17 Jan 2021)
Canadian speed skater Catriona Le May Doan. (speedskating.ca, 03 Feb 2022)
Coach Nancy Goplen. (kelownadailycourier.ca, 28 Mar 2020)
Qualifying for the 2020 World Single Distances Championships. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
DEALING WITH NERVES
She has trouble controlling her nerves ahead of competitions. "I struggle with nerves quite a bit. I've always struggled with it. Forever. I have a tendency to puke before races from being so nervous. I've accepted it at this point [speaking in 2020]. I've gotten used to it, but I'm still working at trying to fix it a little bit. There's a lot of nerves involved. I'm still learning how to be around the cameras and not getting spooked by the bigger names in the sport." (globalnews.ca, 05 Feb 2021; kelownadailycourier.ca, 28 Mar 2020)
She has trouble controlling her nerves ahead of competitions. "I struggle with nerves quite a bit. I've always struggled with it. Forever. I have a tendency to puke before races from being so nervous. I've accepted it at this point [speaking in 2020]. I've gotten used to it, but I'm still working at trying to fix it a little bit. There's a lot of nerves involved. I'm still learning how to be around the cameras and not getting spooked by the bigger names in the sport." (globalnews.ca, 05 Feb 2021; kelownadailycourier.ca, 28 Mar 2020)
She puts new laces in her skates before every major competition. (Athlete, 09 Feb 2023)
She was inspired to start skating after watching the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver. "I needed a change after playing ringette and [ice] hockey for eight years so I thought I'd try speed skating."