“Te work that you put into sports really helps with
everything in life,” Edmunds said, adding that while her training certainly assists her studies, her schooling lends itself to her skating, as well. “I know what it takes to succeed and I’ve done it. It’s about so much more than medals. It really contributes to who you are as a person and allows you to learn so many life lessons along the way.” Although Edmunds can keep her athletic status sepa-
rated from her studies, it’s not as easy for those around her, even at a school that also saw Olympians Brandi Chastain and Keri Walsh and NBA star Aaron Gordon walk its halls. “Being an Olympian doesn’t change that much for me
personally,” Edmunds said. “I feel a little different now, just because I’ve been to the highest competition so I’m a little more confident, but mostly I just keep everything the same. But when new freshmen see me walking down the halls, they get a little wide-eyed. Tat’s really funny to me. It’s nice, but it’s also so weird.” Watching her development first hand, Glynn said he
has enjoyed seeing Edmunds “come into her own,” transi- tioning into more of a role model. “She’s really good with all of the kids at the rink,” he said. “Tey all look up to her and they admire her, and they want to be as much like Polina as possible. She is so warm with them and sees herself as an equal. She’s an Olympian, but she’s just a kid, and that’s how she sees herself, not better than any other 16-year-old.” In addition to her friendship, Edmunds often arrang- es social activities with her training mates, including pool parties during the summer, leading group choreography for Christmas shows over the holidays and making YouTube vid- eos throughout the year. “She’s very sensitive to other people,” Nina added. “She
knows that her life and her opinion isn’t the only way or the best opinion. She knows that. She’s open-minded.” Edmunds’ impressive humility and self-discipline have paid off on the ice. With two Junior Grand Prix titles and a ninth-place finish at the 2014 Olympic Games, her first senior international event, Edmunds is well on her way to an exciting career. Over the summer, along with her existing coaching
team, Edmunds had the chance to work with legendary coach Frank Carroll, who, in addition to coaching Olympic bronze medalist Denis Ten and U.S. champion Gold, guided both Michelle Kwan and Evan Lysacek to World and Olym- pic medals. “I had reached out to him for help and advice,” Glynn
said. “Obviously he’s one of the best coaches in the world and he was very welcoming. We went down and worked with him several times.” “He (Carroll) had called me ‘Te Iron Butterfly’ at na-
tionals this year and that kind of stuck with me because it really does describe my skating,” Edmunds said. “I look very light and balletic when I skate, but at the same time, I’m really strong. I skate good programs and I have the hardest technical elements in my programs. I think that takes a lot of mental toughness, so I feel pretty mentally strong.” “I think the concept of the iron butterfly is really bril-
Last season, Edmunds burst onto the senior scene, jumping from junior champion to Olympian. Mak- ing her senior international debut in Sochi, Edmunds quickly found herself as one of figure skating’s golden girls, facing the media beside her fellow Olympic team members.
26 DECEMBER 2014
liant,” Glynn added. “Frank really hit the nail on the head.” When she graduates from high school in 2016, Ed- munds will be just two years away from the 2018 Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. At only 20 years old, Edmunds could easily shoot for a third Games in 2022, however, her goals are already clear in her mind. “After the 2018 Olympics, I want to go to college and study something in the sports industry,” Edmunds said. “As for this season, I want to build my international reputation. Te next four years for me are about getting better and better each year, leading up to the 2018 Olympics. I want to be on the Olympic podium.”
SCOTT HALLERAN/GETTY IMAGES
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
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