Figure skating has been, especially in the past year, fundamental for handling the lonely days of quarantine. It fulfilled me physically and mentally during such a difficult time. When you see someone skating, it seems so easy, as if the skates do everything, while it is the exact opposite when training.
It’s difficult to find the perfect poise of the subtle blade on the thin ice, but, as always, when you put your best effort into it, you reach some goals which set you up for new, even more difficult challenges. Sports help challenge yourself and reach unthinkable goals; this is what I learnt from ice skating. It is hard always to be motivated to continue, especially when something turns out to be harder than expected, but with constant effort, you can achieve everything. It is always a great sensation when you manage to do something you have been trying to do infinite times; it makes you feel great.
Skating is a very demanding sport, to say the least. Skaters have to be perfect in every sense. Every move, every spin, every jump must be perfect, potent, gentle, and well-performed all at the same time. Skating is not only physically strenuous; it is one immense mental game. The terror of falling can hold even the most qualified skaters from trying to launch their jumps, but at the same time, a thing that truly motivates me is getting up after a fall because, from that, you learn and understand how to improve. This sport made me realize how much I love challenges and the adrenaline of the risk. It has also shown me dedication is key to anything in life because if you want something that bad, you can work hard enough o achieve it. Skating is my passion, my deep love, my impulse to do the impossible, my struggle, and my beloved place to be. That is what makes a passion so hard to find.
