A Skater's Courage

Figure skating is a beautiful sport to watch, but it takes so much to take the ice. All the early morning practices before school, some practices after school. Strength classes, ballet classes, choreography lessons, sacrificing being a 'normal' kid, a family's sacrifice...all for two minutes and four minutes on the ice. Our oldest daughter was involved with figure skating for six years. At the time she started lessons, we had no idea what figure skating entailed.

Costs included: Paying for two coaches, a choreographer, ballet lessons, strength training, custom made dresses, up to $300, the boot, up to $800, the blade, up to $300, practice dresses, up to $65, ice time for every 20-25 minutes, travel expenses year round and the coaches' travel expenses also. So many more expenses that I have probably forgotten.

And we did all of this because our daughter wanted to continue doing what she loved. It is possible, we are proof and with one income. Just takes a lot of budgeting and prioritizing. Listening to the stories behind the skaters last night in the Olympics, one mother wore old, torn clothes in order to save money for her daughter and almost missed attending the Olympics because they couldn't afford the expense of traveling to Vancouver. Most skaters move to another city or country, away from their families, in order to train with the best coaches. All for the dream of skating at the Olympics.

Then there was the Canadian skater, who took the ice two days after her mother suddenly passed away. I don't know how she did it, but then again, she knew this is what her mother wanted for her, to be skating at the Olympics. As an athlete, you do the sport for yourself because you love it, but you also do the sport for your families because the dream is shared.

Though this sport is brutal, there is so much a person learns from it and this is what the skater takes with them on the ice. With all the hard work and determination, the Canadian skater had to take all the love she had for her mother with her and skate for her mother, no matter the outcome. What an incredible outcome too. Then the emotions were able to come out, tears for every emotion possible. And her father, with tears in his eyes, cheering her on in the stands, praying for her, giving her his strength, all when he is suffering the loss of his wife.

To do any sport and under these circumstances, takes more than just talent, it takes courage.