Dear Figure Skating,

We've been together now for 12 years; amazing, I know. And though we have had our ups and downs, you always seem to be there for me. I remember the first day I walked onto the ice. It was terrifying. The thought of standing on thin blades while gliding on ice was unimaginable.

I held onto my friend's pink mitten and took my first step. The cold air hit my face, and I fell. Though I was crying, I looked up at the other skaters and saw how beautiful they looked. In that moment I knew I had fallen in love. That day I also learned my first lesson: take your guards off before getting on the ice.

As time went on and I began to move up the ranks in basic skills, my love only grew stronger. Each day I stepped on the ice was a day I felt complete. The freedom the ice gave me cannot be described in words. With each spin and jump I grew creatively as a person.

My favorite memories will always be the Annual Ice Shows and the synchro competitions. I remember my first Ice Show. I was a mermaid in a ruffled green dress. Every moment of that show was a rush, from the rehearsals to the performance. To see all those people watching us as we skated and enjoyed ourselves.

Synchro, on the other hand, was what I truly loved. Being able to have such a bond with people that share the same passion is something everyone should experience. And it is through synchro that I learned many lessons. Mainly, determination, grace, and loyalty.

Determination was the most difficult lesson to learn. As I went to each testing session, my heart raced, and my nervousness began to takeover. The majority of the time I passed, but nothing can ever prepare you for your first failure. Being handed a paper telling me to retry the test broke my 10-year-old heart. At that moment I asked myself if I was good enough to continue. My coach reassured me I was, and from that moment on I became more determined than ever to be the best I could be.

Grace is a lesson I still have yet to fully grasp; to be honest, I should have been a hockey player. But, my awkwardness didn’t stop me from doing what I loved. Synchro taught me how to skate with grace, mostly because with one mess-up in a line, the whole team could go down like dominoes. My programs also allowed me to express myself creatively through perfected twizzles and effortless-looking jumps. I also have to thank my coaches for this as well!

Loyalty is a lesson everyone must learn. On a team you need to be there for one another and always stand by their side. In competitions it can be rough going it alone, so whenever I saw a fellow club member, I tried to cheer the loudest for them, no matter how embarrassing. Even though I no longer skate at the Clinton Arena, my heart will always reside there. At that arena is my family and fellow skaters I can never forget (I will always be cheering you guys on, even if you can’t hear me).

On that note, figure skating, I have so much to thank you for.

Thank you for the extreme flexibility and great legs.

Thank you for my good taste in music by deciding if I can skate to a song or not.

Thank you for teaching me how to make the perfect bun and to always have hair ties and hairspray on hand.

Thank you for showing me it’s OK to fail as long as I don’t give up in the process.

Thank you for making me the person I am today by helping me realize my passion for performance.

Thank you for the time management skills, without them I wouldn’t survive college.

Thank you for all of the Moves in the Field tests, even though they were the worst (talking about you, Pre-Juv).

Thank you for teaching me that I love glitter, mostly because it never leaves your clothes no matter how many washes.

Thank you for the chance to be the Doctor, Carl ("Up"), a Jedi, Mission Impossible, and a pirate.

Thank you for introducing me to some of the most influential people in my life, my coaches.

Thank you for all the great memories!

Sincerely,

Brittany