Fresh off the Ice

Figure Skater

I am a Figure skater. I skate 6 hours a day, 30 hours a week and about 2,700 minutes a month. That doesn't include training, off-ice, ballet, drama, and yoga. I have three coaches (the top best), a choreographer, physical trainer, a dietitian, a podiatrist, a chiropractor and a tutor.

I know what your thinking. All this for a sport? It's not a sport, it's a lifestyle and a passion. I don't know why I go through hours of jumping , sit ups and stretching in ways a person shouldn't be able to stretch in, which is pure torcher. I don't know why hundreds of people (like me) risk injuries which they could never recover from and have problems with the rest of their lives just to land that triple Lutz. I don't why I waste most of my life trying to perfect my program by doing it over and over again for hours when in competition it comes down to only four minutes out of all that work.

I guess that's who I am. I don't know why we do what we do but I do know how amazing it feels to land a triple,and to do a clean program at a competition,and to be a part of something, something so beautiful and entertaining that people around the world come to watch it. I guess that's what makes me a Figure Skater.

"Push Chesa! Come on, I want to see more speed!" My coach yelled from across the rink.

I was setting up for a triple Salchow, the jump I always had trouble with. I pushed into the three turn, got to position, pushed down and... Jumped! I was flying through the air but I felt in the wrong position and knew I was going to fall. I fell sideways on my hip. Pain shot through me. I heard my coach shout, "Again!" a second after I hit the ice. I got up quickly because I knew if I didn't get up quickly the more times my coach would have me do it.

I tried again. Three-turned, in position and.. Jumped!

Crash!

Again, I found myself on the ice. I quickly got up and did a landing position. I saw my coach skate towards me out of the corner of my eye. He was shaking his head when he came next to me. I got ready for his wrath.

"Chesa, Chesa, Chesa .... What the heck was that!" (here it comes), "I don't know how many times I have been over this jump with you! You can do the triple loop and that's a higher level then this jump! You better get your wet little butt out there and do it again! And land it!!" He turned around and started skating toward the barriers. "Two weeks, Chesa! Two weeks!" He yelled back at me not even turning to look at me. Yes, I had two weeks until sectionals. If you do well enough you can make it to nationals. I knew if I wanted a chance at going to nationals, I needed that Triple Salchow.

I did it again. Turned, positioned and.... Jumped! I felt so peaceful and light in that second and then...I Landed it! I did it! I let myself feel happy for a second ,but then I knew that I only landed it once. My coach gave the signal to do it again.

I did it three more times, pretty tired after I was done. My coach finally looked satisfied.

"Now we'll run through your short program and Chesa," he looked straight at me,"you will do a triple salchow. No popping it and making it a double." I looked into his sharp, dark eyes and suddenly felt really small, My 5'4 frame standing beside his 6'2 frame. His eyes told me he was all business and he wasn't going easy on me.

I did my short program with no falls and just barely holding on to my triple salcow. I was pretty proud of my program but coach said two minutes rest then onto my long program. I sighed with frustration. My long program didn't go very well.

I practiced for an hour after then got off to go do a pure torturous hour of off-ice.

I was beat by the time my mom came to pick me up. She walked in with her Channel heels and Juicy Couture bag. She wore clothes too tight for her curves body and I just had to roll my eyes. I think around my mom I was more of the adult. She was quite a strange mom but she was the only one I had.

"Hey darling!" She greeted me like I was a long time friend. She hugged and kissed my cheek which was sweaty like the rest of me. Who wouldn't be after an intense workout?

She scrunched up her nose.

"No offense darling but you smell and look unladylike." She said in her own accent which no one could identify. I lived with her for my whole life and didn't even know what it was. I think she made it up and thought it sounded cute. It does not, believe me.

She tried to help me by picking up my bag, but instead, she ended up braking her nail and start complaining, so I just took my bag with the rest of her bags.

We went out into her $200,000 car which was pink. Go figure. Sorry, I had to say that.

"So I was thinking since you wore the same dress for your long program the last two times I was thinking you should get a new one." She said while driving home, "I was thinking something a little sexier."

"Moooommmm!" I hated when she did this. She tried to make me wear short and sexy things like her, which was NOT me.

"Mom, my dress is fine." I said forcefully hope she would get the message, she did not.

"Honey, it's sectionals, you want to look good and impress the judges." She said in a weird way.

"Eww! Mom!" I practically gagged at that thought.

I am the one doing the program, I am also the one who has to wear the dress and I am not wearing anything my mom picks out! She tried to argue on the subject, but when I kept refusing she finally gave up. For now.