Unseen Skaters has published a Special Section for 2005 Nationals at:
http://www.unseenskaters.com/articles/20042005/20041229_nationals.html
Our first 3 new Spotlight interviews are with Braden Overett, Anna Peng, and Austin Kanallakan (they're linked from the link above as well as from unseenskaters.com's main page).
Excerpts:
Q: What is it about skating that motivates you to keep going day
in and day out?
Braden Overett (age 23, 4th trip to Nationals as a senior):
"Sometimes I wonder the same thing. Skating combines so many
different aspects of life: people, exercise, emotions,
responsibility, creativity, work, pain, etc. Working with, through,
against or parallel to any of these can give me a certain sense of
accomplishment I can't find anywhere else. It's a passion... and
passions are often irrational and hard to explain. Rationally it
doesn't make any sense to pour your life, money, and time into
exercising for hours on end in a freezing building, taking fall after
fall, and pursuing a dream no matter what the cost; it's hard to make
sense of that."
Anna Peng (age 15, first trip as a junior):
"I go to the rink everyday because I love taking on the challenges
each day brings. I love setting goals for myself everyday and then
realizing I have achieved them. Essentially, I go to the rink because
skating is where I feel at peace. For some people, it may be the mall
or friends, but the rink is my haven. My love for skating is what
fuels me everyday."
Austin Kanallakan (age 13, novice):
"It's fun and challenging. There is always something to learn."
Enjoy!
P.S. Braden and Anna happen to be two of my personal favorites to watch. Braden has a very entertaining short program to "Fiddler on the Roof" with fabulous footwork sequences to the music, while Anna showcases exquisite edgework and spins in her programs.
http://www.unseenskaters.com/articles/20042005/20041229_nationals.html
Our first 3 new Spotlight interviews are with Braden Overett, Anna Peng, and Austin Kanallakan (they're linked from the link above as well as from unseenskaters.com's main page).
Excerpts:
Q: What is it about skating that motivates you to keep going day
in and day out?
Braden Overett (age 23, 4th trip to Nationals as a senior):
"Sometimes I wonder the same thing. Skating combines so many
different aspects of life: people, exercise, emotions,
responsibility, creativity, work, pain, etc. Working with, through,
against or parallel to any of these can give me a certain sense of
accomplishment I can't find anywhere else. It's a passion... and
passions are often irrational and hard to explain. Rationally it
doesn't make any sense to pour your life, money, and time into
exercising for hours on end in a freezing building, taking fall after
fall, and pursuing a dream no matter what the cost; it's hard to make
sense of that."
Anna Peng (age 15, first trip as a junior):
"I go to the rink everyday because I love taking on the challenges
each day brings. I love setting goals for myself everyday and then
realizing I have achieved them. Essentially, I go to the rink because
skating is where I feel at peace. For some people, it may be the mall
or friends, but the rink is my haven. My love for skating is what
fuels me everyday."
Austin Kanallakan (age 13, novice):
"It's fun and challenging. There is always something to learn."
Enjoy!
P.S. Braden and Anna happen to be two of my personal favorites to watch. Braden has a very entertaining short program to "Fiddler on the Roof" with fabulous footwork sequences to the music, while Anna showcases exquisite edgework and spins in her programs.
