By Lexi Rohner
SKATING FRIENDS ARE FOREVER One of the many rewarding things about skating is the friendships that evolve both on and off the ice. The camaraderie and encouragement shared
by skating friends are infectious, and that’s why the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships each year is like a big family reunion and so much fun for everyone involved. Examples of these tight knit unions are featured below.
CRYSTAL LAKE, ILL., WAGON WHEEL FSC CHAMPIONSHIP ADULT GOLD
CINDY CROUSE, 56
VERNON HILLS, ILL., WAGON WHEEL FSC ADULT SILVER
ERICA KAPLINSKY, 53 Cindy Crouse and Erica Kaplinsky were intro-
duced by their coach Sue Schmitt, who had asked Kaplinsky to drive Crouse to her fi rst adult competi- tion in Ohio. They’ve been inseparable ever since. “She’s my best podruga (Russian for friend),”
Crouse said. For several years now, the two have shared ev-
erything when it comes to skating as well as a deep bond off the ice. “She even shares with me her parents, since my mom is thousands of miles away,” Kaplinsky said. Crouse skated pairs and recreationally for six
years before high school. She returned to the sport 30 years later. In her fi rst trip back on the ice, she fl ew around the rink while her 9-year-old niece clutched the boards. “It was so exhilarating,” said Crouse, an interna-
tional trade association CEO. “I couldn’t understand why I ever quit.” Crouse won a gold medal at the 2009 U.S. Adult Championships in championship gold ladies. Kaplinsky had just passed her adult bronze test
when the two met for the fi rst time. Kaplinsky fell in love with skating while watching her daughter, and now fellow adult skater Maureen Linhardt, practice in 2002. “I love skating people,” said Kaplinsky, who calls
skating her never-ending childhood dream. Crouse and Kaplinsky have only been separat-
ed once since their initial meeting, when Kaplinsky broke her toe one week before a competition. “We started that fi rst trip as strangers and six
hours later we were bonded forever,” Crouse said. “I’m not sure either of us has shut up since.”
SAMANTHA SCHECTER, 25 SAN DIEGO, CALIF., ALL YEAR FSC ADULT GOLD LADIES
JESSICA SCIESZINSKI, 25 SAN DIEGO, CALIF., ALL YEAR FSC CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD LADIES
Samantha Schecter and Jessica Scieszinski
skated as children and met through Girl Scouts. Today, the two remain as tight as ever. “Jessica is more than a best friend,” Schecter
said. “She’s family. She’s been there with me through my toughest adult times. My dad’s can- cer diagnosis and losing my grandma happened within three months. Without Jessica pushing me to believe everything would be OK, I’d have lost it.”
Schecter, a pastry chef, and Scieszinski, a be-
havioral analyst specializing in children with au- tism and sensory disorders, both credit skating for helping shape their young lives. It was skating, Schecter said, that became her
fi rst passion and form of exercise. Scieszinski said she was introduced to skating to channel her en- ergy.
“Little did my parents know they’d be driving
me to the rink daily before sunrise and saying goodbye to their paychecks,” Scieszinski joked. Through skating, Scieszinski said, she’s met her longtime boyfriend, made many friends and was inspired to work with Special Olympics. Both ladies have enjoyed success at the U.S.
Adult Championships as they continue to push and support each other. “We know more about each other’s skating
than our coaches do,” Scieszinski said. As in any relationship, they fi ght, laugh and
joke. “I support Jess by making sure she doesn’t let
anyone get in her head,” Schecter said. “She bribes me with pink donuts and Starbucks.”
BOSTON, MASS., INDIVIDUAL MEMBER CHRIS SHIPLEY, 34
ADULT SILVER FREE SKATE/ADULT SILVER PAIRS MARY SQUIRES, 55
QUINCY, MASS., INDIVIDUAL MEMBER ADULT SILVER FREE SKATE
Mary Squires and Chris Shipley
became acquainted through skating a decade ago and today train togeth- er virtually every day. “Mary picks me up and we skate
for about two hours,” Shipley said. Squires returned to skating after
a 25-year hiatus, while Shipley took a skating class while attending Bos- ton University in 1998. Both haven’t looked back. “She takes charge of everything,”
Shipley said. “She reminds me of ev- erything I need to do and has snacks in her purse for me.” Practicing most days together,
they compete in singles and as a bronze and silver pairs team. Both consider winning gold in bronze pairs at the 2011 U.S. Adult Championships a great achievement and a dream come true. Squires has earned the silver ladies IV gold medal six consec- utive years. “We travel and stay together,”
Squires said. “Chris is family to me.” They are inspired by each other.
Shipley admires Squires’ training fo- cus and Squires is motivated by Ship- ley’s determination after coming back from a serious injury. “I wouldn’t be the skater I am
without us training together,” Squires said.
58 OCTOBER 2013
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76