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NWTOlympicspeedskaterannouncesretirementYKheroMichaelGildaysaysitstimetohitthebooksinsteadoftheiceTuesdaySeptember30201415SPORTSRECREATIONSPEEDSKATINGThenewPULSEWOODBUFFALOCALLLINE780-743-7000isaninormationlinenowavailabletoallRegionalMunicipalityoWoodBualocitizens24-hoursadaysevendaysaweek365daysayear.CallthisnumberandamemberothemunicipalRESDispatchwillanswereverycall.Itheycantansweryourquestionimmediatelyyouwillgetapersonalresponsewithin48hours.Thisisasimplewaytokeepyourfngersonthepulseothecommunity.Foremergenciesalwayscall911.ForaccuratecurrentinormationroundtheclockaboutanythingconcerningtheMunicipalitycall780-743-7000.FROMBUSPASSESTOBUSSHELTERSLOSTSWEATERSKEYSTOWINTERROADSSNOWREMOVALANDSTRAYDOGSWITHFLEASFROMPOTHOLESTOFLOODINGTREEBRANCHESBRICKSTOPARKINGANDTRAFFICLIGHTSCALLUSFORTHEFIXAREALPERSON.WITHREALANSWERS.EVERYTIME.ALLTHETIME.HAVEAQUESTIONCALL780-743-7000HAVEANEMERGENCYCALL911WWW.WOODBUFFALO.AB.CABYDALICARMICHAELYellowknifeOlympicspeedskaterMi-chaelGildayknownforhisrapidshorttracksprintshasannouncedhisretirementfromthesportchoosingtostepawaywhileheisatthetopofhisgame.Earlylastweekthe27year-oldOlympianmadetheannouncementthathewillbeswap-pinghisskatinggearfortextbookswhilepur-suinganundergraduatedegreeincommerceattheUniversityofCalgaryfulltime.SeveralfactorswentintoGildaysdeci-sionhesaidinaninterviewwithTheJour-nal.Itsnicetogooutwhenyourestillatthetopofyourgame.Ineverwantedton-ishmycareerslowlygoingdowntherungsintermsofresults.Astronggoal-setterGildaylooksforwardtochallenginghimselfinnewways.Iwantedtoputmyselfinsomethingdif-ferentandshowmyselfthatIcandenemyselfasapersonasmorethanjustanath-letehesaid.Gildaysaidhehassufferedseveralconcus-sionsovertheyearsandwantstoavoidfur-therpossiblypermanentphysicaldamageanotherdeterminingfactorinhisdecision.MostrecentlyGildaycompetedinthe2014SochiOlympicswhereheplaced17thinthe1500-metreraceandwasamemberofthesixthplace5000-metrerelayteam.Hemissedanopportunitytocompeteinthe2010Van-couverOlympicsafterlosinga1500quali-fyingraceby13one-hundredthsofasecond.BeforehisOlympicgloryGildaywasamemberofthegoldmedalrelayteamatthe2011and2013speedskatingWorldCham-pionships.Since2006hehaswon30WorldCupmedalsontheseniorinternationalcir-cuitincludingsevengoldsand20medalsinteamrelayraces.ReturningtohisrootsTheOlympicsabsolutelywereahugehighlightandtheculminationofalotofworkGildaysaid.ButIvealwayslookedbackfondlyonmyexperiencesskatingathomeinYellowknife.TheArcticWinterGameswereahugehighlightformeeverytwoyears.Wealwayslookedforwardtothatalot.Gildayreectsonhisspeedskatingca-reerwithpridebutsaidheiseagertoenjoyamoreregularlifestylenowthathedoesnthavetofollowarigoroustrainingscheduleortravelasextensively.ImlookingforwardtospendingmoretimeintheNorththanIhaveinthelastlittlewhilehesaidnotingthathehopestoworkinhishometownoverthesummerwhennotinschool.Imisshavingtheimmediateac-cesstothegreatoutdoorsImissthesmall-townfeelofYellowknifecomparedtolivinginabigcity.ThoughheisworkingonnewpursuitsGildaysaidhewillprobablyreturntothesporteventually.ImdenitelyplanningonstayingclosetothecommunityandthepeoplethatIvemetinshorttrackandspeedskating.Ire-allywouldlovetogivebacktothesporthesaid.WhetherthatwouldbecoachingyoungkidsorvolunteeringorsomehowimpartingmyknowledgethatIvegainedinthesport.IthinkitwouldbeabitofatragedyiftheknowledgeandexperiencethatIvegaineduntilnowjustwentintoadeadendandneverreallygotpassedon.Overhisnine-yearcareerincompetitivespeedskatingGildayhasbuiltupafollow-ingofsupporthewillneverforget.ImreallythankfulforeverythingthatthepeopleoftheNorthhavegivenmeandthesupportprovidedtomeovertheyearsGildaysaid.Itsbeenarealhonourformetorepresentthecountryasawholeandtowearthemapleleafbutalsotorepresenttheterritoryacrossthecountryandtheworld.ThatsbeenoneofmyfondmemoriesthatIllcarryforward.Photocourtesyoffotosports.caSpeedSkatingCanadaYellowknifespeedskaterMichaelGildayischoosingtoendhiscareerasaprofessionalathleteonahighnoteafterattendingtheSochiOlympicsearlierthisyear.HeisnowfocusingonattainingabachelorsdegreeincommerceattheUniversityofCalgary.