Good Sorts: The Timaru couple who have invested their life into coaching speed skating

February 21, 2021

Bill and Cheryl Begg say they consider it a great investment.

Tonight's Good Sorts are husband and wife couple Bill and Cheryl Begg. If you've ever been to Timaru's Caroline Bay, you may have seen them, whistle and stopwatch in hand, urging on kids flying around the town's roller rink.

They've invested their life in coaching speed skating and they certainly don't feel short changed.

Cheryl and Bill are skating coaches - Cheryl was a three time world speed skating champion.

The local skater kids know this.

“Yeah they do but I don’t think it registers. To them I’m just Cheryl,” she says.

Bill became her coach, then her husband.

“I think if I hadn't met him and gotten involved in skating, I’d probably be married with someone and had two and a half kids and a dog and a cat. I don't think I would have achieved what I've achieved," she says. 

Cheryl works with the juniors and Bill the seniors.

He was a skater too but has coached world champions from Columbia to Asia.

Their daughter Nicola won two world titles as well.

The Beggs led the fund raising for a $400,000 rink and club house and Timaru has become the epicentre for speed rollerskating.

The Beggs have put their life into skating and consider it a great investment.

“Instead of having the things in life, we’ve experienced life.”

For the full story, watch the video above. 

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