- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
I PASSED!
If anyone is looking for exercise today, you might want to get it by pulling me down off the ceiling or out of the clouds, because I'm just so excited I can't sit still!
My test today was Adult Silver Freestyle, and though I had bouts of nervousness all through the night and today, when they called my name and I stepped on the ice, I was amazingly calm. I decided to relax into the program, and things just clicked. While there were some individual things I might have done better, I felt like my artistic expression was "on" and I was having a blast out there! I completed all of my elements with no bobbles or wavering, and my power was good and I covered the ice nicely (it's a larger rink than where I've been practicing).
One extremely funny thing happened. After pouring my heart into it, at the end I do a scratch spin. This spin makes me totally dizzy, but I did a very nice one, came out nicely, ended exactly on time with the music with my one leg crossed behind on the toepick and my arms straight up (the same way my program starts). For a split second, all was perfect, no motion, just "the pose."
But then in the next second, the ice started spinning around me like I had vertigo and I slightly pitched forward and a very loud WHOOOP! escaped from my lips and then I straightened back up again. I must say, it was hilarious, and I could see the judges laughing. But what was totally cool was the adults in the audience (mothers & dads of other testers)--they had started to clap politely at the end, but when this happened, they just ROARED, clapped really loudly, and some gave me a standing ovation! When I came off the ice, my coach was jumping up and down and screaming "You nailed it! You nailed it!" and several of the parents actually hugged me. It was just so nice.
I got great marks from the judges and wonderful comments--good jumps and spins, skater moved well, good power & posture, nice flow, strongly & confidently presented, very nicely done--so I'm high as a kite.
Sorry if this sounds like bragging, I'm just high on adrenaline. Of course, next week I immediately begin working on my (LAST!) gold test. But this time I have a couple of months to prepare, and I'm determined to make it the best skate of my life.
Hope everyone had a great day. Me and the weenie arm are going to sit on the couch and read People magazine!