JAYDA JONES (Pre-juvenile)


I can so clearly remember; I was 4 years old and as my sister was changing the channels on the television, I caught a glimpse of girls gliding around on the ice, wearing pretty dresses that sparkled. Finally, my sister stopped changing the channels and we watched what I thought then was ballet skipping. When my mom called us to eat dinner, I couldn’t wait to tell her about the girls that I saw ballet skipping. My mom asked me if I wanted to do ballet; I said, “Yes” and a few months later I found myself in ballet classes. After a whole year of ballet lessons, luckily,


fi gure skating came on TV again. While my mom was in the same room, I shouted, “Ballet skip- ping”! My mom said, “T ey are fi gure skating,” and we live six houses from the ice rink. It was September of 2005 when I joined the


learn-to-skate program in my town. I was 5 years old. We always arrived at LTS early so that I could watch the older girls skate. I was in awe and could see myself skating in a princess dress like the girls I saw on television. I remember telling my mom that I wanted a lot of diff erent colored lights on the ice when I skate on television. I was moving right along in Basic Skills until


we got to crossovers. I had a hard time learning crossovers. One day following LTS, my learn-to- skate coach off ered to coach me one-on-one. Two years later, I joined the skating club. Until this day, I still remember the anticipa-


tion and unraveling nerves on the day of my fi rst competition. I was the last skater in my fl ight and impatiently waited for the host to call my name. T en it happened; they called Jayda Jones from Commonwealth Figure Skating Club. My coach gave me a quick hug and told me repeatedly that I could do it. I took a deep breath and stroked on the ice to my spot. I was waiting until the mu- sic came on. Before I knew it, I was almost done with my program. I was stroking and gliding and now it was time to do my fi nal scratch spin. My scratch spin had never been faster. T en the fi nal note played and I fi nished my program perfectly on time. I was so happy with my performance that I had forgotten to bow to the audience and the judges. T at day, I placed third out of four people. Even though I didn’t win fi rst, I was more proud of myself for not passing out during the program and making it through the one hour, thirty minute program. T is was my starting point in my skating ca-


reer. I love skating. I love the fl ow of adrenaline leading up to competing, the grace and beauty of skating, the wind and swoosh from my skates


38 MAY 2016


hitting the ice, the audience applause at the end of a single or group performance and the support and encouragement of my coaches and friends in the club. I enjoy watching skaters that are more advanced in the skill, because it challenges me to push myself both mentally and physically. T is summer I had an opportunity to at-


tend a skating program in Kingston (Summer of Excellence). T is program included great classes that helped me improve my form, skills, stamina and agility. T e program included on-ice artistry, interpretive skating, power skating, and ice dance classes. I also took off -ice strengthening and con- ditioning classes and ballet. I was so glad to learn how important it is to develop as a well-rounded skater. T is experience taught me that in order to become a better skater, I needed to step out of my comfort zone and be willing to participate in other things that might not be something that I was used to. It was an eye-opening experience. T is upcoming season will be exciting for me. I will join a T eatre on Ice team and I will continue lessons in ice dancing that I began over the summer. I have a lot of skating goals to ac- complish this year, which include passing another level in moves, freestyle, ice dancing and going to nationals with the T eatre on Ice team. My overall goals are to continue teaching learn-to-skate classes, graduate from high school in three years and tour with Disney On Ice for a year, before going to college. I have been skat- ing for 10 years and this sport means more to me than anything else. T ere’s a lot of patience, dedication and hard work required to become an overall great skater. I know my hard work will pay off when my dream of competing in the nationals and making the U.S. Olympic Team comes true.


see improvements with my walking. He said that my feet had to point forward because you can’t skate with feet pointing inward. If they didn’t straighten, then I would need surgery. My parents decided on ice skating and I had a blast. I smiled the entire time on the ice, even when I fell, which I did a lot. It took a while for my feet to fully straighten. Every time I was on the ice and came off , my feet were fi ne but they slowly crept back to their old ways. Finally, they were fi xed and I could walk like a normal person.


I had the option to stop skating, but there


was one problem. I didn’t want to quit. I was hav- ing too much fun. My parents let me keep ice skating. It has been a very long and sometimes diffi cult road but I love it so much. T at is all that matters to them and to me. Skating has brought me much laughter and


excitement. I have been fortunate to meet many people over the years. We have watched each oth- er grow up and progress through all the levels for moves in the fi eld and free skate. I am still friends with people whom I met all the way back in free skate 2. T ese people still compete against me, even at the juvenile level. I stayed in skating because of the excitement of competing. I met more and more people at each competition and everyone is super nice to me. I never brag about my placement. Whether I podium or not, I always congratulate the people who compete as a sign of respect, good sports- manship and humility. T is has made me a better person overall to everyone I met. Whether they are at school or new kids at the rink, I treat them with respect. I love the experience that comes with competing and I want to keep doing it for as long as I skate. Every competitor has to start somewhere and each one has a story of why they started.


I have my goals in life and I want skating to


CHRISTINE HOLLANDER (Juvenile)


Ever since I stepped on the ice 10 years ago, when I was only 3 years old, ice skating has been an amazing gift that has brought many opportu- nities. At the age of 9 months, I started to walk. T is is not the normal age people learn to walk. In order to support my weight, my feet pointed inward. T is is called being pigeon-toed. I was also bow-legged, but that straightened out as I grew older. We had just moved from Las Vegas to Ari-


zona, and our pediatrician said my hips were not normal. He told my parents to try roller skating or ice skating. If he was correct, then we would


be a part of them. From the time I started, many older kids helped me get better. T ey encouraged me and gave me pointers on how to improve. I loved watching them and I always wished I could do those elements. I started assisting learn-to- skate sessions last summer. When I go away to college, I want to continue as a coach over sum- mer breaks. My plan is by the time I graduate high school, I want to have earned gold medals in free skate and moves in the fi eld.


I get a lot of questions about skating. I am


asked, “Why did you start? Why do you still ice skate? How can you stay with a sport for so long, or what is your favorite part of ice skating?” I al- ways have a prepared answer. I started because I had to and I stayed because I wanted to. People sometimes fi nd me a little nuts for having re- mained in a sport for more than 10 years. Even though I have to wake up early to make it to the rink before school and I endure physical injuries, I wouldn’t have it any other way.


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