Return to skating has been fulfilling By Lexi Rohner
Editor’s note: The three ladies in this edition of Adult Corner competed as youngsters and, after years away from the sport, returned with that same passion and love of skating.
EMILY DESJARDINS, 44 SPRINGFIELD, VIRGINIA, SC OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA ADULT SILVER Skating has always been in the heart of Emily
DesJardins. Her mother and grandmother skated on ponds, and DesJardins still has her VHS tapes from the 1988 Olympics. “I recall being absolutely blown away by Brian
Boitano, Ekaterina Gordeeva, Sergei Grinkov and, later, Michelle Kwan,” she said. With a chance to learn how to skate in her late
20s, DesJardins began group lessons (wearing blue plastic rental skates) while she and her husband lived in Louisville, Kentucky. She progressed to pri- vate lessons and better equipment, but stopped when her son was born and they relocated to Wash- ington, D.C. Five years ago, her daughter requested to skate
every day and take more lessons. “There was no way I was going to be at the rink
that often to only stand around and watch,” DesJar- dins said. At age 40, DesJardins, a marketing and commu-
nications director for a D.C.-area trade association, picked up the sport again. Her coach, Jennifer Park, has pushed DesJardins to be the best she can be on and off the ice. She’s on her club’s board of directors, and Des-
Jardins and her daughter cherish their holiday show duets. Training 12 hours weekly, she sees a growing awareness and interest among the young skaters at her rink and hopes to inspire them to view skating as a lifelong sport. Having experienced skating’s close-knit com-
munity over the years, she finds children and skat- ing parents have been very welcoming. “When I was expecting my son, skaters and
moms gave me a lovely, skating-themed baby shower,” DesJardins said. “Here at Fairfax, it is truly a pleasure to get to know so many young skaters, train alongside them and cheer each other on. Their support and encouragement mean the world to me.”
ERIKA LEHMAN, 31 FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, FORT COLLINS FSC NOVICE FREE SKATE With a move back to Colorado after 10 years
away, Erika Lehman went to the local rink to meet new friends and to reignite her passion for skating. “Skating taught me to conquer fears and work
hard,” said Lehman, who competed as a youngster and remembers calling her ice twirls double Axels when she was 5 years old. “I never took the time to realize what I had accomplished as a child. I com- pared myself with the best competitors at the rink and beat myself up for not placing as well.” As an adult, Lehman recognizes her abilities to
skate and land tough jumps. “I was terrified attempting a double Lutz for the
first time in 10 years, but my desire to land it was stronger than my desire to avoid bruises,” Lehman said.
She retried her senior moves test six times be- fore passing, training in unfavorable conditions.
48 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2016 “I laced my skates too loose, put my hair in my
face, botched my starting strokes,” Lehman said. “Nothing stopped me from passing that test.” Today, Lehman is in her second year as her
club’s president. She practices two hours a day most days, and performs in shows with her father. She wears costumes made by her mother. Her day job is as a municipal museum/historical theater marketing professional. She has stood atop the National Showcase po-
dium twice at the novice level, despite being 10- plus years older than the next-oldest competitor, qualifying for the Parade of Champions. “I always need big, lofty goals,” Lehman said.
“With skating, there’s always something new to master. It never gets old.” Looking ahead, she’s determined to pass her
senior free skate test next year and land a clean double Axel. Involved in her community, Lehman plans an-
nual fundraisers with the Fort Collins Junior League and skates with the Colorado Eagles Ice Crew, (EGALs), performing tricks for the crowd and keep- ing the ice clear during hockey games.
STEPHANIE SENTERFIT, 39 BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN, WYANDOTTE FSC MASTERS NOVICE The enjoyment and lessons learned as a young
competitive skater have carried over to Stephanie Senterfit’s adult skating life. “Skating gives me purpose,” Senterfit said. “It
has taught me to work hard and how to dedicate myself and prove to myself that I can do the things I set my mind to.” Senterfit returned to skating at age 32 and has
since become a skating director, learn-to-skate in- structor and a coach. “One of the most exciting things is watching
my students succeed out on the ice,” Senterfit said. “The lifelong friendships that I have made with my students and their families are priceless.” Senterfit’s own coach, Cindi Ezzo, is one of her
best friends and a part of her family, having known her for more than 30 years. A dental hygienist, Senterfit trains four to five
days a week for a total of six hours. She earned a gold medal competing in the championship in- termediate-novice category at the 2014 U.S. Adult Championships, a goal she had when she began competing as an adult. “There is nothing like the freedom of gliding
and interpreting music on the ice,” Senterfit said. “It is who I am.” She sees her time skating as her “exercise and
me time.” “Now I also get to share the ice with my daugh-
ter, Lexi, which is the best thing ever,” Senterfit said. Lexi, 10, skates in synchronized and individual
competitions. Senterfit would like to become involved in committee work for U.S. Figure Skating.
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