Ever since I was two years old and watched Kristi Yamuguchi win gold in the 1992 Olympic Games, it was my dream to go to the Olympics. I started ballet first, because there was no ice rink near my hometown of Washingtonville, NY. For 5 years I studied dance until age 7, when a rink called Ice Time opened in Newburgh NY, only 20 minutes away from home. I immediately started skating, still dreaming of the Olympics.
At age 11, I was overweight and unhealthy, still skating but struggling to excel at the sport. I was 4'9 and 130 pounds, round, and unable to skate for long periods of time without feeling a burning in my chest. In other words, I was in bad shape.
Then everything changed; two Olympic figure skaters from Russia came to our rink to teach figure skating, and I immediately idolized them. Their names were Oleg Makarov and Larisa Selezneva, and they were the ultimate athletes. I was determined that I would become an athlete like them, and eventually reach the same heights.
I lost 30 pounds, and as a 13 year old weighed 100 pounds at 5'1- a much healthier weight for me. I kept skating and in a few years with Oleg and Larisa, started landing double jumps and finally my axel. I was also winning nearly every competition I entered.
After my mother injured herself on the job and could no longer work, we moved to Lake Placid. As a child I felt there was something magical about this place, and had always dreamed of living in the Winter Sports Capital of the World. I got my wish!
I kept skating in Lake Placid, still training to reach the Olympics; in the meantime, I was introduced to another ice sport- speed skating. Pat Kelly, former speed skating Olympian from Canada, encouraged me to try the sport and use it as a form of cross training for figure skating. Immediately I remembered Bonnie Blair's skin suit and skates that were displayed in the hallway of Ice Time......and the kindly speed skaters who tried to convince me to try the sport. One of these skaters I re-met in Lake Placid several years later- his name is Tony Marchese. I guess I was supposed to speed skate. Anyway, eventually I agreed.....and began to enjoy the different pace of speed skating. There were no costumes or music......but there was pure speed!!
I started this blog in 2007- it is hard to believe that I have been blithley typing for two years, but I enjoy it. The only dream unattained was going to the Olympics.
Well, last week I received a call from a representative of the Microsoft Office Winter Games contest, and she informed me that I was one of the semi-finalists for the contest. The grand prize? A trip to Las Vegas for a technology conference, new equipment (including computer and microsoft products) and....A TRIP TO THE VANCOUVER GAMES!!!! AS MEDIA!!! TO BLOG ABOUT THE OLYMPICS!!! I think the representative thought I was unexcited ( I just kept saying, "yes", "yes" like I was in a trance) but the exact opposite was true- I was ready to jump up and down for joy!! Which I did, after hanging up the phone of course ;)
To get me to Vancouver, (and achieve a lifetime dream- hey, I didn't specify that I wanted to compete at the Olympics, did I?) I need your help. Online voting determines who is chosen to go to the next level; I need enough votes to be in the top 3 in my category.
To vote:
2)Click "Vote Now"
3)Click "vote" under the picture for Christie in the Student Category (that's me!!)
You're done!! Please note- you can vote for one student blogger and one woman blogger per email address per day!! So don't forget to vote for me!!
Also, a friend and fellow speed skater, Kelly Pugliano, is a finalist in the women's contest as well. So vote for her too!! A figure skater/speed skater and another speed skater going to the Olympics? That's what I'm talking about!!
Thanks in advance my Skater Universe (yes, I sort of stole that idea from Stephen Colbert's "Colbert Nation")!! I hope to be reporting to you from Vancouver!!
Best,
Christie (LP SKATER) :)
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