My intrest in figure skating started way back during the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, though I was only 8 years old, I vaguely remember watching the pairs competition.

Once I realized I'd like to actually participate in the sport, I was living over in Saudi Arabia (where there is no ice), so I took up on roller skating, I wasn't very good when I first tried it... to get going I had to push off walls and just glide and hope I wouldn't fall down and hurt myself...

Since I lived overseas during the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, my grandma taped a small portion of the ladies short program (Kristi Yamaguchi, Midori Ito, Josee Chouinard, and Tonya Harding) and that's when my "obsession" began.

Since 1992, I've attempted to the best of my ability to get as many skating competitions on tape, my video collection probably has over 60 video cassettes. I listened carefully to the commentators (Dick Button, Peggy Fleming to name a couple) and soon figured out the differences in jumps, spins and other elements. My sister and I then would attempt to try some jumps and spins on our roller skates - some worked and some didn't - and a lot of the times we would hold "competitions". We started out just picking any music and improvising to it and then after about a year we decided to actually try choreography to classical pieces (and popular music). That was much more interesting, and something we still do in our spare time at home at the ice rink here in Kansas.

The first time I was ever on the ice was in the summer of 1996, at a small rink in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. The very first thing I did when I stepped on the ice was make my way out to center ice (regardless of my inability to move well with blades on my feet). I stood there for a few minutes then figured out how the edges worked and I was on my way (but not without falling once).

In the fall of 1996 (while I was at boarding school in Wisconsin) I finally got my own pair of figure skates (Riedell 375 Gold Star). As many weekends as I could, I made my way to the local rink (walking), and worked on getting more and more comfortable on ice.

I started taking group skating lessons in 1997 and progressed pretty fast through basic skills (all the while helping the instructor with others who didn't understand what they were doing). After passing basic 6, I started with the freestyle program (jumps, spins, etc).

It was during one of these freestyle levels that Dina Gubin asked me if I would be interested in taking private lessons (she said that it would be harder for me to work on improving with just the group classes), I took her up and added private lessons to group lessons.

What I think was good for me, working with Dina, was that she rotates in my direction (clockwise), so I learned my first (more advanced) elements from someone that didn't have to turn everything around (which is no problem for me anyway, since when I watch skating most skaters go the other way, I've adapted). My biggest problems in skating were centering spins, the loop jump, and the flip jump. Only one of which I actually completed while under her direction (the flip... but just once).

In 1998 I competed in the Badger State Games in Wausau, Wisconsin. I skated to Rachmaninov's "Elegie", I tried my best but I always seem to have issues with my toepick (tripping over it though it never happens in practice). I watch the tape of that competition now and know exactly why I finished last :) The night of the Badger State Games was also the day of the 1998 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Nagano, Japan (which I love watching all of the Olympics), but that night, I got to freeze my butt off, have fun with my friend Erin Martens and meet 1988 National Bronze Medalist and 1988 Olympian, Caryn Kadavy (a skater whose style I've admired for some years now). And being a collector of figure skater autographs, I got an autograph from her (and one of course for my sister).

After I graduated in the Spring of 1998, I moved to Kansas City, and teamed up with Amy Love (1994 Junior Collegiate National Champion), I did semi-private lessons with my sister. I worked with Amy from 1998-2000. While with her, I improved a lot in speed, centering of spins, and stronger jumps. I did an exhibition program for the 1998 Holiday Exhibition, I skated to Alabama's "Oh What A Night", and of course my issue with the toepick came into play LOL but it was all fun so that didn't matter. I prefer exhibition over competition anyday.

During the spring of 2000, Amy was off the ice because of surgery, though she lost a lot of students, Kristi and I stuck with her and continued to take lessons, but soon our schedules and her schedule didn't mesh well, we had to stop taking lessons from her.

Before splitting with Amy, we started to take lessons from Marina Eltsova (1996 World Pairs Champion with Andrei Bushkov and 1998 Olympian - photo to your left), so we didn't have to look far for a new full-time coach. I think I have learned the most from Marina and have improved the most, I contribute this to the fact that when we work with Marina, she knows how to keep us practicing while still having fun. Sometimes I'm not really in the mood to go to a cold rink, but once I'm there and with Marina, her positive attitude rubs off on me and I end up having so much fun (Marina, if you ever read this, me and Kristi really do enjoy working on edges, crossovers and steps).

Marina choreographed one of my favorite programs, a 2 minute 40 second cut of Garth Brooks' "The Dance". I still haven't had the chance to skate it in any exhibition but I hope that one day I might :) It's a little long for my level though, which is why I can't use it (at my level the time requirement is a minute and 30 seconds).

Since working with Marina, my speed and "grace" have improved as have much of my technical skills (I still have issues with the loop, flip, camel spin and flying camel spin). What I love the most is that my love for the sport have been regenerated from how I felt about it a few years ago (I kinda felt I was going nowhere). Thank you Marina, I'll never forget all the skating advice you've given me in the past year and a half :) Spaseeba!!

The one move I've been working on is the one move I've always wanted to do since I was a little kid, the layback spin. I've been working gradually on leaning further back and having a well turned-out free foot. It's a spin in which the foot not spinning on the ice is behind you in an arabasque position, you lean backward with your upper body to face the ceiling and you hold your arms over your head (or out to your side). If done incorrectly, this spin could be the end of you. So far, I haven't killed myself :)

List of Skaters That I Admire

Marina Eltsova
Todd Eldredge
Kurt Browning
Scott Hamilton
Kristi Yamaguchi
Kyoko Ina
Ekatarina Gordeeva
Alexei Yagudin
Shae-Lynn Bourne & Viktor Kraatz
Brian Boitano
Katarina Witt
Oksana Baiul
Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto
Elvis Stojko