The People Who Shaped Us

Dianne Wearden

Member since: 1988
Role / Affiliation: Coach, Alleycat'z Skipping Club

Dianne's Story:

While working at the Brownvale School, I became involved in the sport of Jump Rope, where I
ran the Jump Rope for Heart Program. In 1988 the Bonnyville skipping team was visiting
schools and hosted a workshop in Peace River. My daughter and her friend wanted to attend
the workshop and while there asked if they could purchase ropes. When they returned,
they said they wanted to form their own team and was told all needed was a coach, “so we volunteered you.”

That moment marked the beginning of the Alleycat’z Skipping Club. I served as coach, manager
and treasurer over the years and then continued through to my 38th year with the club. The Canadian
Rope Skipping Association, was founded 1989. During my time as secretary, I had the honour of
authoring the organization's first official rule book helping to establish a lasting foundation for the sport in Canada.
I was also fortunate to be part of the formation of the Alberta Skipping Association serving as
treasurer for five years. After a five-year break, I returned to serve another
five years as treasurer and helped restore the organization’s incorporation.

The most powerful moments come when skippers learn to leave the word “can’t” outside the door and discover
what they are truly capable of. Milestones came from taking skippers to places they never
imagined going – traveling across Canada to compete. For some, it was standing beneath skyscrapers;
for others, stepping onto an airplane for the very first time.
Other memorable highlights came when traveling to international competitions in Lethbridge and Greeley Colorado,
where teams and skippers met from around the world, and returned home with bronze and silver medals.

Just as meaningful were the journeys beyond competition; exploring Old Montreal in horse
drawn carriages, attending a Montreal Expos ball game, visiting Casa Loma Castle in
Toronto, watching the Blue Jays play, riding on the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls and, traveling east to Halifax to dip
their feet in the ocean and visit Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, home of Anne of Green Gables.

The experiences continued across the Centennial Bridge into New Brunswick, north to
Yellowknife for dog sledding on Great Slave Lake and witnessing the northern lights from an
airplane window. There was a demonstration in Canada’s Parliament Building in Ottawa,
sharing lunches while sitting on the historic cannons out front, workshops in the University of
Victoria, and sliding down the Paint Pots on Vancouver Island.

The Alleycat’z were always on the move sharing their love of skipping; doing demonstrations
throughout the province. They were honored to take part at a half time show at an Edmonton
football game with over 250 skippers from across Alberta. They performed demos throughout
West Edmonton Mall, skipped at the Ice Palace, and were asked to demonstrate between
periods at an Oil Kings game. In Calgary they put on shows at Sundance Mall and they even
traveled to Okotoks for a workshop where they famously ended up locked out of the van.
These are just a few of many moments that became cherished memories along the way.
These are the moments athletes remember most; not where they placed in the competition,
but the friendships formed, the places explored and the joy of the journey.

Skipping is a sport rooted in a community where the greatest competition is within yourself, and every one around
​you challenges you to rise higher, work harder, and believe in what you are capable of becoming.