OK. So. I got into speedskating during the 2006 winter olympics. I didnt even know what speedskating was, but Apolo Ohno had so much media coverage! They showed all these cool mini clips from races and I was like "WOW! I gata see that..." so I started watching the events on TV and got hooked. At one point we went to Boston and were eatting in the Cheesecake Factory and it was on the TV in their bar area. I guess it was the speed, grace, and perfection with which they skated that got me obsessed. It really is a beautifull sport.
So after the olympics, I told my dad I wanted to try it, so he looked on the US Speedskating site and found that the Rochester Speed Skating Team (RSST) was doing a Learn To Speed Skate (LTSS) session soon so I signed up. They thought I was a "natural athlete" and were happy to have me on the team, which made me feel special on the inside :D. The coaches liked me because I filled an apparent age gap in the team for the womens side, there was only one other girl on the team arround my age then (and shes still 2 years older). One of the coaches (Jim) said to my dad "Does she have any friends??" LOL! So I got my friend Sacha to do it with me. So far, ive gone to all of the short track meets I could get to (Ohio, CT, our home meet and my first meet (Rochester), Morrisvile NY, Pittsburgh) and Sacha refuses to race for some reason.
Well, so far ive had A TON of fun. Even though ive only been skating for 8 months ive made it a goal of mine to make it to the Olympics someday, which I think is a very tangable goal if I continue to work hard and stay dedicated. The Rochester team is unbelieveably supportive, they're allmost like family to me now. I can't imagine what it would be like to wich teams when I go to college :( .
The coaches are amazing, Marty said he thinks I can make it to the Olympics, if not Vancouver, the next one for sure if I keep working hard! The team not only skates together, we run in road races, we bike, some do triathlons, some ski, there was even a track meet and an orienteering run some did together. HOWEVER, excluding Jim, the RSST has ONE WEAKNESS.....my awesome homemade cookies. XD
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