Thus and, as my father says, blissfully ignorant of the costs that lay ahead, my parents engaged a coach and took me to the rink: a cavernous, bracingly cold, and enormously vaulted …show more content…
Now, back down on that ice and let’s see you get up on your own.” She was right! Ice is not only hard, it burns, but the freedom and thrill of skating were encouragement enough for me. From that first day, I did not hesitate or fear falling, because my focus was on the pleasure I got from skating. I didn’t think about the difficulty of acquiring skills and it did not occur to me to doubt myself. Like most children, I had no reason to question myself or wonder if I looked foolish to others. Being completely engaged in an activity I loved, I was focused on acquiring the next amazing skill and this joy helped me progress quickly to compete and place first at the age of 8 amongst a heat 17 teens at the Eastern Great Lakes Regional