To my seven-year old self who is skating on the floor using baby powder
Hey you. Remember how a few months back I got into figure skating? Well, I just won a gold medal today for Skate Philippines 2025 in a technical event for Alpha. What does that mean? It means you need to do six right foot over left foot forward crossovers, snowplough stops, 6 forward strokings, 6 left foot over right foot forward crossovers, and a FS 1 element. The FS1 element of my choice are two-foot spins. The other one is an Arabesque, but I think my coach saw my potential as a super spinner LOL.
Speaking of my coach, her name is Nikki and she’s awesome. I think I changed coaches three times, not because they’re “not good” but their teaching style just doesn’t fit my learning style. Just like how in relationships, you need to be compatible for it to work. Eun, another adult skater, told me to try coach Nikki since she handles adults very well. In my mind, it was my last shot. I was mentally explaining to myself that “hey, maybe figure skating isn’t for you?“. I was about to give up.
On the time that I sent coach Nikki a message, her slots were really already full. I begged her for a schedule and she was kind enough to squeeze me in 9am lessons every Saturday. So it began.
The Climb
I struggled A LOT, and it never ends. At first it was getting the hang and getting the correct flow for forward strokes; not leaning forward, pushing properly, holding the glide. Then snowploughs, which I sort of got soon. Then crossovers, which took me around 3 months to “click”. I fell A LOT. Then we also started with Beta elements like backward skating, introduction to backward crossovers, and t-stops. I got t-stops pat, but backward strokings and crossovers, err.. I’ll get back with you guys about this soon.
During the first skate of 2025, she asked me to spin. I had no clue how. She just told me to try spinning my feet and arms clockwise, or counter clockwise. I had no clue. I couldn’t spin for my life when I tried counter clockwise; but I made a wobbly one the other way around. “Ah, a clockwise spinner I see,” she remarked. It totally made sense because I’m a leftie. So looks like I’ll be doing things clockwise.
Okay you’re ready to compete – coach
What. – me.
I don’t know what potential she saw in me when I did that silly spin, but I told myself “what the hey, let’s do it.”; and so the grueling training and preparation for that one technical event for Alpha for Skate Philippines 2025 began – in March.
The song of choice is “The Climb” by Miley Cyrus. I initially wanted Go Up by SB19, but coach advised me that it might be too fast and I’ll struggle with my elements since I’m just a beginner. I also wanted “Looking through the eyes of love” but apparently it’s an overused piece HAHAHAHA.
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”, Bruce Lee
Since March, we trained almost two to three times a week. Early morning during weekends, and one during lunch when it hits a weekday. We ran the routine over, and over, and over. Of course it was a mess in the beginning. I couldn’t even do more than one rotation of spin. I don’t even understand how a spin on ice works. So we trained, I practiced, I researched also on youtube for tips. I asked fellow skaters. I was determined to improve.
On falling
A lot of people assume that when you get better at skating, you fall less. That’s contrary to what a figure skater is. Each time you get better at something, you need to learn something new; and when you need to learn that new element, or improve on a certain element – you fall.
You will fall, over and over and over.
Even the best olympic figure skaters fall.
Falling is essentialy the F in figure skating. Haha jk.
Tick-tock, it was 5 days before the comp day and I tried my best to do more with each training. My spins have begun spinning; and things are beginning to click. There are times when I overcount, dont hold the edges as long as I should, I fall, or when the spins aren’t consistent. But I took those misses as lessons that I need to improve the next time I’m back on ice. Heck, sometimes I do off-ice practices wearing socks on the floor.
Gold
I’m not gonna give you any suspense here. We got a gold medal. Our first. Okay so was it because we were the only ones in the adult level at age 38? HAHAHA. But I heard that even if you’re technically alone in a segment, if you didn’t do your elements properly and by the book, the best you can still get is a bronze.
We got gold. WE GOT GOLD.
I prayed to the heavens that I don’t fumble. It was the first day of my period (TMI!), I needed to pee (so hard to remove the dress); and my hands were litterally as cold as ice.
But it was so nice to have a lot of support from folks. From my previous coaches, from my kiddo rink friends-slash-babies, from Ryan, from my family, from my online friends, and best of all from my coach.
They believed in me during times that I don’t believe in myself.
Honestly, I really just wanted it to be over. HAHA!
and when it did. Ugh, it was the best feeling ever. It was finally over. I can finally pee!
My heart was so full when I saw my coach jumping and telling me how my spin looked so good! I was so happy to see her proud!
I wasn’t expecting any medals at all! All I want to do is dance on ice. To fly on ice. We did. You did it. You never gave up on your dream; and we’re just getting started. 🙂
2 Comments
Helen
You are amazing! Congratulations, Kaycee! 🎉👏🏻
Melissa
Congratulations, momsh! You are amazing! ❤️