As the world continues to move through the current pandemic, creative ideas have surfaced in many aspects of our lives and throughout the world. In the spring we were all devastated. We were confused and at loose ends as to how life should proceed. But adversity leads to opportunity.
But human beings are a resilient species, as we know. Over time coping strategies began to surface and a new normal started to take hold. We all figured out how to take care of our friends and families, manage to put food on our tables, and to start to wear masks to protect not only ourselves, but others. We cannot stop the virus, but we can and did make the best of this strange and unusual time.
The skating world is particularly irrepressible! Within weeks of rinks closing back in March and April, skaters were finding online workouts and other ways to stay in shape and practice long and hard-earned skills. I found a new world in Zoom. It became a fabulous way for my wife, Michelle, and for me to continue to train our students. I even began to create new choreography online!
One exciting and unexpected development came to light as I started to easily “travel” the globe working with skaters in a single day from California, to New York, to Brazil, to Japan and to Sweden.
It is my hope that we all stay healthy and safe as we continue this unexpected slippery journey, that we are traveling for the moment.
This unusual time in our lives has never been experienced by any of us. But we are a hardy group of skaters and while our rinks were closed, and now, as some of us have limited ice time, we are still progressing and enjoying our sport through modified testing and competition procedures.
As I like to say to my skaters all of the time, repeat after me, “If I think I can, I will.” And then calmly adding, “Yes, you can!”
The session is over and the Zamboni is coming out.
Auf Wiedersehen
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