A Letter to My Skating Teammates

I have been an athlete my whole life. I started skating when I was 3 years old. Eighteen years later, I have the honor of being an NCAA Division I athlete representing my university while doing what I love. This sport has taken me places that I would have never imagined would be possible. I am eternally grateful that it led me to Miami University. I have never loved this sport more than I do now, and it is because of the extraordinary women I have been lucky enough to call my teammates.

What I love about being on a team is how each season, we start out as many individuals who have been placed on a team. But by the end of the season, we are a unit; we are a family and together, and we are unstoppable. Whether we are at practice or we are competing, it is so special to look across the ice at one of your best friends. You make eye contact with whomever is across the circle from you, and in that moment, you know that everything is going to be okay. The energy that we are able to build off one another while we skate is powerful. There is nothing quite like hitting the ending position, knowing that our team gave it everything we had. These moments and those feelings are things I will truly cherish forever.

Through victory and defeat, achieving goals and coming just short, the days where everything goes right and the days where nothing goes right, I am so grateful to have you all by my side. I look forward to practice each and every day because I get to see all of you (even if it’s at 5:30 a.m.). I know I will walk into the locker room and there will be laughter and positive energy despite all of us being tired. When I look around at all of you, whether it be on the ice, in the weight room or in the classroom, I am inspired by your dedication, commitment, work ethic, grit and pursuit of excellence. You are an amazing group of people, and it is a privilege to share this journey with you.

You have seen me at my best, my worst and everything in between, and you love me all the same. I am eternally grateful for each and every one of you.

Thank you for your endless support and encouragement. Thank you for challenging me to strive for more. Thank you for allowing me to feel safe in my own skin. Thank you for pushing me to be the very best I can be. Thank you for laughing, crying, dancing and singing with me. Thank you for wanting the best for me, as much as I want that for all of you. Thank you for always being down to get food at any time of the day (especially ice cream). Thank you for making me feel loved and appreciated. Thank you for being the sisters I never had. Thank you for being my family.

It is because of you all that I am the person and athlete I am today. It has been an honor and privilege to share the ice with all of you. I am grateful for all the memories that have been created, and cannot wait to make new ones next season.