Rough Draft

Learning the ways of the Ice

We all have role models in life. Athletes we hope to be as good as someday, models and actresses we want to look and act like. When I was 8 years old my role model was Michelle Qwan.The most graceful elegant figure skater to ever skate in my eyes. How could someone have so much talent how could someone balance all their weight on a blade so thin and jump and spin on it with no fear? I was amazed, I have always loved watching the winter Olympics from as far back as I can remember and the figure skating was always my favorite event to watch. I wanted to learn how to skate I wanted to learn the talent that all those Olympic skaters could do.

I was 8 years old when my mom took my friend and me to the Bremerton ice arena for fun. We rented the brown skates they had there that were dull as they could be but I was so excited to get on the ice. After the very first day I knew it was something I loved and wanted to stick with. It was my sport.  Granted the first day was rough not knowing what I was doing and my friend and I were out there just having a good time but as the day went on I got the hang of my balance out there and I was a natural. I started in group lesson with all the other little kids that had the same goal and dream as I did but it wasn’t enough I needed one on one time with the coach I was catching on so quickly and I didn’t want to wait for the rest of the group to move on to the next lesson. So I talked to my mom and the coach and I started one on one lessons. My first coach’s name was Brenda. She was such a good coach for me to start with she taught me so much, I started with about 2 lessons a week and I practiced about 3 or 4 times a week in the beginning. This then moved to me coming in 5 days a week before and after school. Waking up at 5 am to go to Bremerton was not the easiest thing but I did it and I wanted to now that I look back I was never so dedicated to something in my life. I couldn’t imagine having to wake up that early now to go do something besides if it was a job pre say.

I remember my first competition I was so nervous it was over in shoreline at this god awful rink there. I couldn’t tell you the name of the music skated to but I can still here it playing in my head. I believe my first one lasted a while minute and a half? Yes all that practice and money spent on lessons for a minute and a half. There was typically about 5 or 6 judges who each had a specific thing they were looking for and judging you on. For example one could have jumps the other spins and the other chorography. And when everything was added up that’s how they determined who came first who came last and all the other in between. After the first competition was out of the woods there were more to come. Competition season came just like every other sport it was typically from March until June possibly July. And they were all over the place the furthest I travelled for one was southern Oregon. Travelling for one was one of my favorite parts it was so much fun to go stay in a hotel with my whole family or just my mom sometimes but it wasn’t just us either every competitive skater from the rink was there with their families to. The other skaters and their families felt like my second family we all spent so much time together from the off season during summer camp at the rink all the way through competition season.

After two years of skating I decided it was time for me to switch coaches I was ready and I did feel guilty and bad for having to tell Brenda alone that I was practically firing her and going for someone more experienced but she took it well. My new coach was Outi she was from Finland. She was the best coach at the rink there was no one better than her I never would have switched coaches after switching to her. I learned so much from her I felt like I really learned to skate after being with her. She expected a lot out of me and for me to work my ass off but that’s because she was working her ass off into teaching me. I didn’t only switch to Outi because she had more technical experience I switched because I could see her skaters and how well each of their programs were put together the chorography was beautiful and the music she picked wasn’t boring and wasn’t going to put the audience to sleep. I had never been so happy and had so much fun with her being my coach. And I had never won first so much until I started working with her. I got so used to winning I was always a very competitive person but now that I knew how I could do I set this bar for myself and if I didn’t reach it I felt as if I was failing myself. I was only 12 years old thinking like this. Thinking if it’s not first place its last. Which is what ruined it in a way for me that I could only be happy if I was winning but that’s not what sports are about you don’t always win and you can’t always win. I wish I would have realized that a long time ago.

My last competition was July 2008. And now six years later I can remember every last detail of that day like it was yesterday. I can still smell the Ice of the rink. The Washington State Games were being held over at the nicest rink in Edmonds. I was skating to Pirates of the Caribbean the program couldn’t have been put together any better my dress couldn’t have fit the music better it was custom made with a corset like tie in the back and the stone work done on it was impeccable. After my performance I knew I wasn’t getting first my landing on my axel was off I didn’t skate to the best of my ability that day. When the results came I took my skates off and didn’t put them on but once in these six years. I had only received second place and the sad part is I couldn’t tell you how many people I was up against all I knew was I wasn’t first. Now that I am almost 20 I regret quitting like that after all the hard work I put into it. And if on that day I wouldn’t have been so selfish and remember that my remodel Michelle Qwan only ever got the silver medal in the Olympics but continued to go for the gold as much as she could and always had her head up maybe things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did with me quitting. Skating formed me into the person I am today no matter what though I am a hard working dedicated person and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I am so lucky I got to experience all those memories in my life. Then again maybe I wouldn’t have learned so much from it if it didn’t end the way it did.