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ADULT CAMPS CAN BRING OUT THE BEST IN SKATERS by LEXI ROHNER


Tis is the first installment in a three-part series on adult skating camps and clinics. Featured in this kickoff piece are camp experi- ences from skaters residing in the Eastern section of the country. Check out the U.S. Figure Skating Adult Skating page to learn more about program opportunities. http://www.usfsa.org/Programs.asp?id=112


Rosemary Goie, 62, Lake Placid, N.Y. SC of Lake Placid, Adult bronze free skate


In 2006, Rosemary Goie bid farewell to the hustle-and-bustle life in Long Island, N.Y., and retired to Lake Placid, N.Y., a village nestled at the foot of the Adrirondack Mountains. “I don’t know when or how it happened, but


I don’t feel old,” said Goie, a Skating Club of Lake Placid board member. Goie has attended many adult skating camps


and clinics since taking to the ice 23 years ago with her then 6-year-old daughter. She initially attended a clinic by Peter Burrows and Robin Wagner in Long Island, where she was one of a few adults among 20 children. Later, Burrows in- stituted one-week adult North American Training Camps in Lake Placid, which now are conducted semiannually by the Olympic Regional Develop- ment Authority (ORDA). “I have so many ORDA camp shirts that I


may start selling them back,” said Goie, who now helps organize the adult camps in Lake Placid. Her notable camp experiences include a


1998 Olympic Training Center stay along with the first U.S. female Olympic champion hockey team. Tere, Goie performed “Young at Heart” with fellow adult skating campers in an Oleg and Liudmila Protopopov tribute. Tis year, Goie and fellow organizers of the


North American Training Camps will award the fifth annual David Drake memorial scholarship to a youth skater. “David was a great soul and fan of his skating


buddies,” Goie said. Te recipient performs in the June and Au-


gust adult shows at the camp’s completion. Goie’s skating involvement also covers


countless Lake Placid volunteer efforts, trial judg- ing and assisting an adaptive learn-to-skate pro- gram.


said.


“You get much more than you give,” Goie Always active, Goie benefits from Adapt, a


program designed to prevent elite athletes’ inju- ries.


“Te repetition of elements put strain on old joints and muscles,” said Goie, who passed her adult silver free skate test prior to moves-in-the- field requirements. “It’s challenging to stay flex- ible.”


“Let’s hope my knees hold up,” Goie added.


“My greatest achievement and greatest joy is to put on my skates and skate like a child.”


Pat Giorgio, 58, Keene, N.H. Brattleboro FSC,


Adult pre-bronze free skate/adult pre-bronze dance Pat Giorgio doesn’t compete, but she enjoys


figures, performing in shows and attending adult skating camps. She’s attended the adult camp in Lake Placid for the past five years. Participating in the week-long camps, with an all-star roster of coaches on hand, has increased her skating confi- dence.


“Te best compliment I received was being


told I looked relaxed skating,” Giorgio said. “Off- ice classes and the parties are great, too.” With her coaches encouraging her to per-


form often, Giorgio always has a solo ready. She counts her fellow campers as the best audience, all of whom are honored that two-time Olympic pairs champions Oleg and Liudmila Protopopov attend every adult show. Performances choreographed by Judy Blum-


berg, Melissa Gregory/Denis Petukhov and others are occasionally part of the Saturday Lake Plac- id shows. Giorgio feels a connection with Lake Placid, where her great uncle competed in speed skating in the 1920s. Coached by Jacki Smith in Dartmouth and


Marc Fenzak in Lake Placid, Giorgio is struck by adult skaters’ persistence. “No one says, ‘When I’m too old to skate


…’ ” Giorgio said. “We all want to push the enve- lope.”


Highlights for Giorgio include a Skate America exhibition with 75 Lake Placid summer campers, and a 2011 Protopopov tribute. “It was an honor to skate “Young at


Heart” for them,” Giorgio said. “Dick Button said we adults skated elegantly.”


Barry Johnson, 50, Atlanta, Ga. Atlanta FSC, Adult pre-bronze


Barry Johnson finds that he pushes himself


harder, with more purpose and focus, at an adult skating camp than when he trains on his own. “I believe my technique benefits from hav-


ing a variety of coaches to work with,” said John- son, who has attended camps in Hackensack, N.J., multiple times, as well as a camp at his home club. “I thoroughly enjoyed them and would love to attend again.” He’s received instruction from such coach-


ing greats as Robin Wagner and the legendary Ta- mara Moskvina, and he’s skated with Olympians


Ann O’Keefe, Maggie Atkins, Brigitte Woodward, Kristi Sausa, Judy Bovitz, Angie Gavin, Pat Giorgio, Rosemary Goie


such as Sasha Cohen, Emily Hughes and John Zimmerman. “Spending time with fellow adult skaters


who share the same passion is rewarding,” John- son said. Taking what he’s learned at a camp back


home is powerful motivation, as well. “It’s a boost of energy to take home,” John-


son said. Training in Atlanta with coach Tami Mickle,


Johnson is grateful for her patience and friend- ship.


“Skating has much to offer on and off ice,”


said Johnson, an avid club volunteer. “I spent two years on our board of directors, I am currently on the club’s communications committee, I help with hospitality during competitions, and I co- chaired our 50th annual awards banquet.” Johnson’s skating journey began in 1999 in


an effort to become a judge. “I fell in love with the skating so much I decided to stick with that instead,” said Johnson, who was raised in Memphis, Tenn. Johnson pursued a career as a jeweler but


eventually became drawn to the travel industry where he met his partner, Tony. With Shih Tzus Maxx and Louie, they have made their home on the Gulf Coast and in Atlanta. Skating once a week, Johnson practices twice when possible with a goal of not breaking any- thing.


“I love it and want to enjoy the thrill of skat- ing as long as I can,” he said.


SKATING 35


Claire Downer, Rosemary Goie, Maggie Atkins


Barry Johnson


A D U L T corner


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