This is such terrible news, I had to let it sit for 2 days before commenting and I am still not sure what to say.
When I was still writing about figure skating, I went to lot´s of events, where I met skaters and coaches and at two or three I believe, Katia did compete. It was when she was already with Harley and we spoke a bit how she was first into singles and later decided to go pairs with the Aussie, on Mozers advice. She had two other partners before, but with Harley she found a match.
What I took from her words and appearance, she was happy to have found her place, she tried long and hard for her dream of becoming a sports professional and was on a really good way to it. You don´t invest so much time into something, if it doesn´t mean the world to you and from self experience I know how hard it can be if your told "no more".
While as an adult you will think "cmon, there is so much more to do", as a young person there is simply put nothing left in such a moment. At this point you don´t realize that you have people who love you, that you have other opportunities and a whole life in front of you, you only see that one thing that is no longer there.
Katia did put everything she had on the ice, you could see it when she was skating or in practice. This wasn´t a part time job for her, it was much more and quite often are those individuals the most vulnerable if that one thing goes away from them. Friends, daily routine, but also the traveling just stops and all of a sudden you have more time a day, than in a whole year before. This is when the darkness starts crawling in and sadly, too many can´t find the light again. It can hit everyone and it´s not the fault of anyone!
This process is almost impossible to see for friends and family, on the outside you will put on a mask, but inside your smile starts to decay. Katia is one of several athletes in the past few years who died young, out of nowhere and the majority of people will say "but why?" and the answer will always be, because the smile had left their eyes.
Thanks Katia for being with us, many of us loved your skating and will miss you, not only as an athlete but a wonderful person who has inspired many kids to pick up the skating boots and become a world class athlete, like you!
Condolences to her family and friends!
When I was still writing about figure skating, I went to lot´s of events, where I met skaters and coaches and at two or three I believe, Katia did compete. It was when she was already with Harley and we spoke a bit how she was first into singles and later decided to go pairs with the Aussie, on Mozers advice. She had two other partners before, but with Harley she found a match.
What I took from her words and appearance, she was happy to have found her place, she tried long and hard for her dream of becoming a sports professional and was on a really good way to it. You don´t invest so much time into something, if it doesn´t mean the world to you and from self experience I know how hard it can be if your told "no more".
While as an adult you will think "cmon, there is so much more to do", as a young person there is simply put nothing left in such a moment. At this point you don´t realize that you have people who love you, that you have other opportunities and a whole life in front of you, you only see that one thing that is no longer there.
Katia did put everything she had on the ice, you could see it when she was skating or in practice. This wasn´t a part time job for her, it was much more and quite often are those individuals the most vulnerable if that one thing goes away from them. Friends, daily routine, but also the traveling just stops and all of a sudden you have more time a day, than in a whole year before. This is when the darkness starts crawling in and sadly, too many can´t find the light again. It can hit everyone and it´s not the fault of anyone!
This process is almost impossible to see for friends and family, on the outside you will put on a mask, but inside your smile starts to decay. Katia is one of several athletes in the past few years who died young, out of nowhere and the majority of people will say "but why?" and the answer will always be, because the smile had left their eyes.
Thanks Katia for being with us, many of us loved your skating and will miss you, not only as an athlete but a wonderful person who has inspired many kids to pick up the skating boots and become a world class athlete, like you!
Condolences to her family and friends!
