Barbara Aultman, the new owner of Sparta Roller Rink in Trojan Village Shopping Center, pauses for a photo with her dog, Carly, near the rink's newly-refinished floor.

Sparta Roller Rink's new owner has an interesting background

"I love skating; it's my life; it's part of me," said Barbara Aultman. The new owner of Sparta Roller Rink in the Trojan Village Shopping Center, Aultman re-opened that facility Aug. 17. The rink had been closed since April.

A former competitive skater, she is also a skating teacher and has operated several other roller skating rinks in different parts of the country. Aultman wants to operate Sparta Roller Rink in a family-oriented atmosphere. "My goal is to make this a safe place where kids can go," she said. "This is a non-smoking facility now. That's very important." She also plans to offer skating lessons for children. "I like to cater to younger kids. This rink is really meant for kids 12 and under," said Aultman. "I like to take a kid who's never skated and in five minutes, I can have them skating by themselves. Ninety-nine percent of people I can do that with."

Four Bronze and Three Silver

Originally from Ohio, she began skating when she was nine. The father of her best friend owned a skating rink, and she used to help there, she explained. Aultman got her first bronze medal at 21, in a test administered by the Roller Skating Association, a national organization. The first four levels of proficiency are bronze; the next three are silver. Aultman achieved the first seven levels, or medals, in roller skating.

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