Davis and White share their story with Team USA In the key season before the Olympic
year, Meryl Davis and Charlie White delivered a 2016 Champs Camp keynote speech that was both personal and inspiring. While their 17-year journey to the 2014
Olympic ice dance title has been well docu- mented, there still were moments they want- ed to share with Team USA skaters, many of whom grew up training, traveling and com- peting with the most-decorated team in U.S. Figure Skating history. “Some people think we were born win-
ning medals; we weren’t,” said White, who with Davis won two World, five Grand Prix Final, three Four Continents and six U.S. titles. “We were born making mistakes and we used that to help us grow.” On the Olympic Training Center stage in
Colorado Springs, Colorado, Davis and White shared the trials and tribulations of their skat- ing career, which began in 1997 in suburban Detroit when she was 9 and he was 8. “I really thought we were doing pairs for
a while,” Davis said with a laugh. “We had no goals, no plans, no eye contact for the first year.”
Tat changed during their juvenile season. “We set goals, small goals, and it was a lot
more fun seeing those small goals realized,” Da- vis said. “We gained an appreciation for chal- lenging ourselves … and we started enjoying practice a lot.” In those early years, White admitted to
being intimidated by the more veteran teams, often from Russia. “It was hard and we didn’t feel like we
belonged,” he said. “It was frightening and it felt impossible to take the ice after people who outclassed us.” But hard work and perseverance eventual- ly changed fear into confidence. “We practiced until we got things right,”
White said. “We practiced until we couldn’t not get things right.” Tat perseverance paid off. Earning the
silver medal at the 2010 Vancouver Games made them feel like anything was possible — including beating training mates Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, the 2010 Olympic champions from Canada. More goals, more work, more dedication
followed. From the beginning of the 2010–11 season through winning the 2014 Olympic gold medal, Davis and White lost only twice. Despite that dominance, the pressure of the Olympics was palpable.
12 OCTOBER 2016 Meryl Davis and Charlie White Skating last in Sochi, Davis remembered
trying not to hear Virtue and Moir’s scores as they came off the ice, but she knew their rivals had skated well. “I remember thinking, ‘If I can run away
right now, will anyone find us?’” Davis said. “It was terrifying because it meant so much to us.” “It seemed reasonable to me,” White said
nodding at Davis. “I thought, ‘Can I run away right now and will people be mad at me?’ It was so terrifying … and then we stepped on the ice.”
Te result was an Olympic-record per-
formance. Tey became the first Americans to win ice dance gold, and also led Team USA to a bronze medal in the inaugural Olympic Team Event.
“Te beautiful thing is, Charlie and I can
look back at our experiences and realize how much joy we derived from these experiences,” Davis said. “Te joy that we really love is the joy that’s earned when you push past hurdles.” “You have to push through barriers to
show who you are,” White told Team USA. “It shows you the path to who you are as a person and as a skater. Tat is joy to us.” Teir advice for those at Champs Camp?
Be resilient. Work harder. And start planning for the Olympic season now.
— Barb Reichert Grant Hochstein and Caroline Zhang
$DURQ JHWV KLV 8)& À[ After the traditional
Team USA photograph, Max Aaron walked over to the Olympic Training Center’s west wing for a night of informational sessions. His mind, though,
was straying to the Ulti- mate Fighting Championship rematch between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz scheduled lat- er that night. Te first fight ended with Diaz getting the victory by submission. “I’m headed to Buffalo Wild Wings right
after this to watch,” Aaron said. “Watching the fights at BWW is absolutely amazing. I love how everyone watching it gets so into the fight, which actually makes it feel like I am in the venue.” Aaron was pulling for McGregor and he wasn’t disappointed with the outcome. McGregor
From World Team to wedding vows
At Champs Camp, 2016 U.S. pewter
medalist Grant Hochstein was preparing for more than his upcoming season. In addition to Grand Prix assignments at Skate Canada and NHK Trophy, Hochstein is starting to prepare for his nuptials to 2009 U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang, to whom he popped the ques- tion last April. “We’re not that far in the planning process,
but we’re thinking maybe August of 2018,” Hochstein said. “Eight is a very auspicious number in Chinese culture, so we’re thinking maybe 8-18-18. My only requirement is that we get married in an old Catholic church. I told Caroline she could plan everything, what- ever else she wants — the cake, the colors, the
traditions. I just want an old church.” — Mimi McKinnis
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