Sasha Cohen's Essay in Sports Illustrated | Golden Skate

Sasha Cohen's Essay in Sports Illustrated

Wow! Everybody read this! This is a must-read essay in which Sasha bares her soul with great eloquence.
 
Very well-written and insightful piece. I love seeing athletes succeed beyond their sport. Doing what they do requires such discipline, motivation, and self-sacrifice that I expect they should succeed in anything they want to do, though the transition may be rough.
 
Sasha...my first female hero (and crush :o: ) has grown into an intellectually honest role model. She's pure inspiration all over again and her thoughtful attention to detail and devilish instinct to break apart from and lead the pack is an infusion journalism is desperately in need of.

My hope is that the world (myself included) will embrace the discomfort and social stigma of being vulnerable in a culture that naïvely associates it with weakness. In reality, vulnerability allows people to be authentic, connect with others and embrace their personal truths.
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Preach!!!!! This is what the world needs to hear! She is going to succeed and her impact is going to be very real. Go get em girl!!!
 
"I lost the clarity of focus that accompanied my days as an amateur athlete. Where else was I going to find that adrenaline, connection and sense of purpose? Adjusting to my new normal was—and still is—difficult. If you came of age in a world outside of sports, you know that the normal world doesn’t work this way. For me, it was quite the surprise."

This is exactly what happened to me and I think it happens to several performers. I think it happened to Nicole Bobek and Christopher Bowman as well. There's a thrill that comes with competing and it can be difficult for people to recapture if you don't have a stable home life. She can also help people deal with how it feels to be judged by more than just their talent. I think performers, athletes, and even models can relate to how it feels when a large chapter of your life ends. The time in between careers can be daunting and just seeing her again will be inspiring for many of her fans.
 
mrrice said:
"I lost the clarity of focus that accompanied my days as an amateur athlete. Where else was I going to find that adrenaline, connection and sense of purpose? Adjusting to my new normal was—and still is—difficult. If you came of age in a world outside of sports, you know that the normal world doesn’t work this way. For me, it was quite the surprise."

This is exactly what happened to me and I think it happens to several performers. I think it happened to Nicole Bobek and Christopher Bowman as well. There's a thrill that comes with competing and it can be difficult for people to recapture if you don't have a stable home life. She can also help people with how it feels to be judged by more than just their talent. I think performers, athletes, and even models can relate to how it feels when a large chapter of your life ends. The time in between careers can be daunting and just seeing her again will be inspiring for many of her fans.
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At some point they have to move on. So kudos to Cohen to find a new career path she might do well. I forever miss her spins and spirals.
 
This paragraph tickled me no end:

Growing up, I only worried about climbing trees, outrunning the boys and winning as many medals as possible. Basically, I crave adrenaline-driven excitement, which makes it difficult to plug into the real world. Those who know me think I’m a daredevil with no regard for physical pain, and that I live life on a precipice. It’s true—I’ve been that way since I could crawl. Even in an elementary school setting, fitting in wasn’t easy. I used to do cartwheels during roll call outside, or refuse to put away my art project because “I wasn’t done yet,” even though it was time for math. One elementary school teacher thought I was deaf because I never listened to any instructions, and another gave my parents a book about how to handle future juvenile delinquents.
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So, all you parents of future juvenile delinquents, there is hope yet. :laugh:

I can't wait till we start seeing Sasha on TV delivering the news!
 
Mathman said:
This paragraph tickled me no end:



So, all you parents of future juvenile delinquents, there is hope yet. :laugh:

I can't wait till we start seeing Sasha on TV delivering the news!
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I'd love to see her replace Tara; I'm tired of her blathering on about winning Olys at 15.....and Sasha and Johnny used to be friends. I remember Sasha showing up rinkside because Johnny was nervous at 2004 Campbell's competition.

Or maybe she doesn't want anything to do with skating anymore. Either way, she is so photogenic and intelligent she would be great on camera!
 
I miss her skating. She had a lot of rough days in her skating career but also a lot of great moments and rose to an Olympic silver medal.She is a fighter and almost won the 2005 Worlds. She was very close. I am happy she went to school learned about the world beyond the skating world. Very nice essay.
A lot of skaters mention a sort of skating bubble that they live in while being a competitive skater. It is interesting to read about how difficult it can be making the adjustment to the real world.
She certainly lives a glamorous life in NYC and she just went to Italy and Greece with Evan Lysacek and Vera Wang.
 
With all this talk about Sasha, I decided to look for my personal favorite performance of hers. It even has Dick and Peggy commentating. It's her Swan Lake LP from Marshalls in 2004. She defeated Michelle and Shizuka at this event....Remember Robin Wagner........https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo3hgBV59bc
 
"This is Alexandra Cohen reporting from the top of Mount Everest. 60 Minutes sent me on this assignment because I was the only reporter with the courage, stamina, athleticism and determination to make the climb."
 
Mathman said:
"This is Alexandra Cohen reporting from the top of Mount Everest. 60 Minutes sent me on this assignment because I was the only reporter with the courage, stamina, athleticism and determination to make the climb."
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That sounds like a perfect introduction. Is Alexander/Sasha a Russian thing? Does Alexander Johnson ever go by Sasha?
 
Mathman said:
"This is Alexandra Cohen reporting from the top of Mount Everest. 60 Minutes sent me on this assignment because I was the only reporter with the courage, stamina, athleticism and determination to make the climb."
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Nearly cracked my ribs laughing at this, which I needed after Venus' loss at Wimbledon.
 
mrrice said:
Is Alexander/Sasha a Russian thing?
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Yes, it's a Russian thing. Someone once explained it to me like this: Alexander -> Xander, Zander, Sander. Now add a diminutive ending: Sasha.

I don't think Alexander Johnson uses it, but many Russians do, like Alexander Abt.

Sasha's middle name is Pauline, which lends itself to many rhymes, such as

"Alexandra Pauline! Alexandra Pauline!
"She's the cutest little skater that I ever have seen!
"Bring on the Russians, bring on the Kween,
"Ev'rybody cheer for Alexandra Pauline!."

When at school at Columbia she went by "Alex." :)
 
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Thanks for sharing. This is not the first time I've seen a former Olympian/pro athlete bear his/her soul on the difficulty of transitioning to a "normal", everyday lifestyle after dedicating the early years to a sport or passion. Interesting stuff...

Mathman said:
Sasha's middle name is Pauline, which lends itself to many rhymes, such as

"Alexandra Pauline! Alexandra Pauline!
"She's the cutest little skater that I ever have seen!
"Bring on the Russians, bring on the Kween,
"Ev'rybody cheer for Alexandra Pauline!."
Click to expand...

Was this one from Round Boy Pete (former GS poster from the 2000s)? Can't quite remember but this is not the first time I've seen this one.
 
Speaking of what skaters will do with their lives after skating, I have to wonder what they do during their spare time. Brian Boitano turned his cooking skills into a TV Show. I wonder if Patrick Chan will buy and run a Vineyard. Here's a commercial for Brian's Cooking Show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cdcNORgbXE
 
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