Europeans 2012

So here we are, we've had a very busy schedule training six days a week and playing cricket for a full day too (more on that later) and currently in training for the World Championships in two weeks time.
What have the ice skaters been up to I hear you ask? Well, firstly and mainly we competed at the European Championships 2012 in Sheffield, England (you would be surprised how many Americans think Europeans could be held in Sheffield USA). The first and probably last time in our careers we can compete in front of a home crowd and boy did we put on a show.The last time the UK held a World or European Championship was about 20 years ago and was certainly well overdue. We thought it was great and gave us drive for the whole season, that cheer when a top British team steps on the ice at a Championship held in Britain is just amazing. To top it off we skated great, a top ten finish, and safe in the knowledge all our hard work had paid off.

A highlight of the Championships was that Prince Edward came to watch our Free skate and came for a meet and greet directly after. It was a great honour and we were quite blown away with his humble nature and his knowledge of the sport. As well as Prince Edward it was an opportunity for friends and family to come in their droves to see us skate including my dear Uncle and Godfather Dave King.
He came to watch us skate live for the very first time, enjoying himself so much he booked his place with my Aunty at the World Championships in Nice, France at the end of March. Very sadly and suddenly he passed away days later a relatively healthy man 61 years of age. For me the memory of our 2012 Europeans will be bitter sweet with that thought, though my Aunty has still said she wishes to come watch our World Championships in Nice as they had such a great time.

Prior to the European Championships our national Championships were also held in Sheffield where we won an amazing 7th senior title breaking all British records. We've competed so many times at Nationals that sometimes they blur into one but this time we had two things stand out, first our music stopped mid skate and I ended up chatting to the referee in the middle of our event and second a very strange official meeting.

In the meeting we were handed out our new squad kit only to find the sizes were a little off and when I say a little – I mean a lot! Think of 30 athletes of all ages and sizes that had been perfectly measured months earlier trying to squeeze into tiny jackets, t shirts hoodies and pants. Moaning and groaning like we were all in strait jackets, needless to say they were sent back even though we had plenty of teddies that they would have fit comfortably.

Anyway training in general has changed for the better moving away but living in Florida is quite a difference from Poland. Everyone will think of all the pluses but we had built up a life there and was hard to start a new, even when people do speak the same language. Also just because people speak the same doesn't mean that we aren't further away in personalities and culture. So I decided to start playing Cricket at the local club to meet some similar minded folk. Since this out of rink interaction we have once again found ex-pats that we moan about British weather too, as well as some great games of cricket!

But not all training is fun and games, actually at this point of the season none of it is. It’s serious stuff, a tense time for athletes and coach alike. Aiming for perfection while at the same time being so sore and tired that after the sixth day of training you can’t even make it downstairs. Repetition is key and it’s tedious work but you have to look at the end goal and push yourself every day. A few weeks back shows the danger of training at a high level in pairs while being this tired. It was the end of a session that hadn’t been going so well and in an attempt to salvage the last five minutes of training we were trying to push out a decent twist (I throw Stacey in the air she turns three times then I catch her, simple).
It went up at half the height as we were tired and the snap for rotation was slow. As I went for the catch it was well off axis and Stacey came down off balance falling back cracking her head on the ice. It was a nasty fall and I dived down to make sure she didn't try to move, she tried to get up twice as she didn't even realise then started to feel a bad head.

I held her head and felt flesh and a huge bump when I removed my hand the whole side of her pretty blonde head was turned a deep red, I put it straight back. I felt terrible for this dainty lady that puts her life in my hands everyday lying in pain and a pool of her blood. One of the pair guys on our ice rushed over and picked Stacey up as I kept the compression on her head. We rushed to hospital, trying to think of everything like insurance, passport and so on, then after spending an hour filling out forms and an hour waiting for our turn they gave her a Tetanus shot and a stitch. She didn't feel great for a few days with a sore head and mild concussion but has healed up nicely and still ended up coming back to training well before the Doctor had expected. It’s a tough sport and we are only in it because we love it and still feel we have a lot more to offer in the future.

Anyway I will write again soon about our greatest challenge of the season yet, the World Championships in Nice, France. But for now very best wishes and enjoy what you do!