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July 2, 2006
Hey Everyone!
I am writing to let you know how things are going now that I am on summer break. Woohoo! I love summer! I finished school May 24th, so I am now officially a junior in high school. On the last day of school a group of my friends and I were picked up in a limo. We went out to lunch and drove around Houston. It was a birthday celebration for one of my friends. It was such a blast!
Before school was out we had a show at one of the rinks in Houston. It was a lot of fun doing the show; however I had an offer on the same weekend to do the Japan Open where the North American team competes against Japan and Europe. I was torn between doing the show for my club and the Japan Open. We decided that the right thing would be to do the show because I had already made the commitment. Also, my body really needed the rest from competition because I had been training through Worlds since I was the first alternate. It was still exciting to have been offered to compete for the U.S. at the Japan Open
Two weeks after the Houston show, I did a show in Chicago called "Superstars on Ice." The cast had so many good skaters such as Irina Slutskaya, Todd Eldredge, Ilia Kulik, BeBe Liang, Alissa Czisny, Yuka Sato, Jason Dungjen, Marcy Hinzmann & Aaron Parchem, Steven Cousins, Scott Smith, and Ryan Jahnke. Everyone skated great, and it was so much fun!
About two weeks later when school was over I left for New York to get my competition programs choreographed by Lea Ann Miller. We were there for 12 days. We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast in Greenwich, Connecticut, and I skated at two different rinks in New York and at the Ice House in New Jersey. Peter Tchernyshev choreographed the footwork for both of my programs. It is so difficult, but working with him was so much fun and a huge challenge! It was a great experience, and I have some pretty cool footwork! My two programs are awesome, and I can not wait to compete with them for the first time. I'll be skating to Theme and Variations by Tchaikovsky for my long program and Happy Feet by John Altman for my short program. I really think both pieces will work well for me!
Lea Ann and I had so much fun working together! Even though we were there for 12 days there wasn't much time to do anything else because we were always on the ice. Lea Ann made sure that I went to see a Broadway show while we were there. My mom and I went to see Hairspray, and our seats were 3rd row center. The show was so amazing! It was my first time to see a Broadway show, and I will never forget it!
I just got back from performing in a show in Ohio called "Skate for Hope." It is a show that helps raise awareness and money for breast cancer research. I dedicated my skate to my friend Shannon Keeler who is a breast cancer survivor. She is an adult skater I've grown up skating with in Houston. She is so amazing! She showed so much strength and courage as she dealt with and won her battle against breast cancer. The show was so nice with so many nice people running it. The other headliners were Emily Hughes, Parker Pennington, and Marcy Hinzmann & Aaron Parchem. We had a lot of fun together.
While we were in Ohio I found out that I received two Grand Prix assignments, Skate America and Skate Canada! I was super excited because we really had no idea that I would get two assignments. I love that I get to stay in North America for both assignments. However, I will have to go straight from Skate America on the east coast to Skate Canada on the west coast. With my experiences from last year I know I am up for the challenge!
I leave for Dallas next weekend to skate in the "Champions on Ice" show. I can't wait! I feel like I have been waiting forever!
Anyway, things have been very busy lately as usual. Practices are going great, and I am having fun working on new moves on the ice. Happy summer everyone!
Love Always,
Katy
February 27, 2006
Hi again everyone!
I know a lot of you are wondering why I had to withdraw from the World Junior Championships. My boots were really broken down, and even the heel had begun to separate from the boot. We had them worked on to get me through nationals with the plan that I would break in the new boots right after nationals. Then, when I was assigned to Four Continents we had to wait to break them in because there was only one week between nationals and Four Continents.
With four weeks before World Juniors I started breaking in my new boots. Right away things didn't feel right. The right boot felt too small and really hurt my foot, but I thought maybe it was just real stiff since it was the first day. After a couple of days of intense pain, I realized something was wrong. I went to see John at Skate Texas. He has fitted my boots since I began skating 10 years ago. He stretched the back of the boot, so I could get my heel back into it, and that felt so much better!
Now that I wasn't in so much pain I continued to break in my new skates, but I was having problems with my skating that I had never had before with new boots. I was taking some terrible falls, even on footwork, spirals, and flying spins. After a couple days of frustration and beating myself up with crazy falls, I went back to John. He went to the rink with me and repositioned my blades. Wow! I could now do footwork, spirals, and spins without falling! Things were getting better, but I had lost a lot of precious training time.
I went back to working my jumps, but they didn't feel comfortable. I was rotating, but I never had a good feel of where I was in the air and my landings were off. I figured I just needed to practice a few days, but each day things got worse. I started thinking it was me. I started doubting myself. Then, as each day went by, I felt like my skates were losing support. I didn't feel like I had the support I needed to take off on a jump or land one. Back to John I went.
My dad took my skates in that night and John worked on them some more. But, the next morning the right skate still didn't feel right, so my mom and I went back to see John. After 2 hours and six times of John trying something new and me tying up my skates, I put them on and said, "That's it!" I knew they were right! My mom asked me "On a scale of 1-10, how do they feel?", and I said "A 10!" We quickly drove back to the rink were I had 30 minutes left to skate. I was able to do every spin, spiral, footwork, and most importantly every jump and jump combination! Everything felt normal- FINALLY!
I lost almost three weeks of training time trying to get my skates right, and then I had the stomach flu. Things were pretty rough as I tried to prepare for World Juniors. With only a week left, we decided I didn't have time to prepare properly to represent the USA, and we needed to allow the alternate enough time to make the proper arrangements to go. I was definitely disappointed because we had already purchased our airline tickets and made all the arrangements, but at least I can end my exciting season with a great win! Even if I don't get a call to go to Worlds as the first alternate, I am very proud of my season! Of course, I'll be ready to go to Worlds if they need me- at least my skates are ready now!
Sorry it took so long to write about nationals, but the problems with my skates and school have kept me very busy. Also, things have been very busy here with Houston's Olympic Media Day and all the different interviews I've done since I became the first alternate for the Olympics. I even did a live radio talk show and a live TV Olympic special. It was so much fun! Sugar Land Ice and Sports Center where I train threw me a wonderful congratulations party to celebrate my season. The party was complete with red, white, and blue balloons, cake, and even a big brass key to the rink. Some how I don't think the key will actually open the doors to the rink because it is so big and heavy, but it is really cool!
Anyway, most of you most likely know that I placed fourth at this year's nationals. I skated so well, and I still can't believe I won the pewter medal! The exhibition was so much fun! I had to run off the ice after the finale and take my skates off in the car in order to catch our flight home in time.
I received some great assignments because of my placement at nationals. I was assigned to the Four Continents Team and the World Junior Team. I was also named the 2nd alternate (and then the 1st alternate) for the Olympic team and the 1st alternate for the World Team. I think it is so cool to be able to say that I was one of the alternates to the Olympics!
Anyway, a week after nationals I was back on a plane to Colorado for the Four Continents Championships. I was so excited to represent the USA in my first senior international event along with BeBe Liang and Christine Zukowski. I had so much fun with them! We stayed at the nicest resort near the World Arena rink. We had the best view from our room of the mountains and a lake. The view was unbelievable! The only thing I don't like about the mountains is the altitude. It was so tough to compete in the altitude right after nationals, but I had had good practice with my senior program in the altitude since I had competed at sectionals in Denver.
Of course, I drew early to skate for the short program because that's the luck I have been having lately with the draw. I drew 3rd to skate which really wasn't bad since the event went so late into the night.
The power went out in the World Arena after the first skater. It was only off for about 30 seconds, but it seemed so much longer because it was pitch black and super scary! It took about 25 minutes for the lights, computers, and TV equipment to come back on, and then there was another 6 minute warm-up for the remainder of the group. I thought it was exciting and fun, so it relaxed me. My short program went really well! I gave a solid and clean performance. Because of the power delay, the press conference, and the draw for the free skate, we didn't get back to the resort until midnight. We were exhausted, but excited with my 2nd place standing going into the long program.
We had a day off in between, so our long program was on Saturday. I was 4th to skate out of the last six, right behind BeBe. I had a great warm-up that morning, but I was still a little nervous about the altitude. It really seemed to affect the men. I skated so well landing five solid triples and a double Axel! However, I popped my triple loop which is my best jump, so that was the only reason I was upset. Yukari skated last, and she skated really well too which made waiting for the final results very exciting. I couldn't believe it when I won! My coach and I were screaming when we found out! A lot of people have asked me if I got to put my prize money towards my Hummer. Well, my mom and I decided to put 1/3 towards my Hummer, 1/3 towards my skating expenses, and 1/3 towards college. The rest of the day was very busy with the medal ceremony, my drug test, a press conference, an interview with Peter Curruthers, and the exhibition. We also had a midnight-buffet for the closing banquet. It was all such a blast!
I wish I could relive the two weeks of nationals and Four Continents. I will never forget how it felt to skate my long program at nationals this year, and how it felt to skate my short and long programs at Four Continents! I will never forget standing on the podium with Sasha Cohen at nationals! I will never forget the medal ceremony at Four Continents and waving the American Flag around in the victory lap after winning my 1st senior international event!
The Olympics were so much fun to watch, and I think our ladies did so well. I am so proud of our team! Many people wanted to know if I was sad since I came so close to making the Olympic team, but didn't make it. Since I wasn't expecting to be so close to being on the Olympic team, it is not upsetting, but an honor! I might feel different next time, though! I was sad to see Michelle have to withdraw, but I thought she handled it with grace. She will always be one of the best even without an Olympic gold medal.
I'm looking forward to the spring and summer because I've been given a lot a wonderful opportunities. In May, I'll be performing in a show for my club, and I'll also perform in a show in Chicago. In June, I'm skating in a show to benefit breast cancer. I am so excited to be able to use my skating to support such a wonderful cause. In the future I hope to be able to skate to raise support and awareness for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's because two of my grandparents suffer from these terrible diseases. In July, I'll be performing with the Champions on Ice tour. I am so excited and honored to be a part of the tour and skate with so many great skaters! Also, some time in the spring I'll be working with Lea Ann Miller again on two new programs. That should keep me busy!
Thanks to everyone for all your kind words of congratulations! It is so fun to read all your cards and letters!
Love,
Katy
January 3, 2006
Hi Everyone!
I'm on my Christmas break from school, and it is so nice. I go back to school on January 5th, but then I leave for nationals on January 9th. I'm so excited for nationals!
I just wanted to fill ya'll in on how sectionals went and what happened after that, although most of you most likely already know. To begin, Midwestern Sectionals were in Denver, Colorado this year. I flew in about a week early to get use to the altitude. I stayed in Colorado Springs for the first three days where the altitude is a bit higher, and then my mom and I drove to Denver for the official practices. Practices went great, and each day the altitude felt better and better. However, on the morning of the short program I woke up with a fever after having had a sore throat for a few days. Somehow I managed to pull off a great skate with a clean program and placed 1st in the short program. I was feeling a little better the next day for the long program because my fever was gone, but now I was really congested. I drew first to skate in the long program which makes a four minute program after a six minute warm-up in altitude really tough, but I had trained really hard, so I wasn't too worried. Again, I skated really well and ended up winning which gives me a lot of confidence for nationals. So that was the last competition before nationals, and we were headed home for a nice relaxing Thanksgiving –or so we thought!
My mom and I flew home from sectionals on Sunday and took it easy since I was still sick and didn't have school that whole week due to Thanksgiving break. We slept in Monday morning and woke up to many phone messages congratulating me on making the Junior Grand Prix Final. I would be replacing the Russian who withdrew. We were so confused because we had not heard from US Figure Skating yet. Once we figured out what was going on we were so excited, but we had so much to do. I couldn't believe I was finally going to the JGP Final after being the alternate for 3 years. My mom began washing clothes, repacking, and finding airline tickets while my dad took me to the doctor to get an antibiotic (my congestion had turned into a sinus infection) and then to skate and sharpen my blades.
Since I was called in as a last minute replacement I was already going to get to the JGP Final in Ostrava, Czech Republic a day later than everyone else. Then, there was bad weather in Philadelphia, and we were forced to go home and start over the next day because there were no other international connections that day. This was now going to put me in Ostrava late on the night before the short program. We arrived in Ostrava at 7:30 p.m. after 26 hours of traveling (15 hours of flight time and 11 hours of layovers) with 4 plane changes! Due to the circumstances I was given a practice session at 9:00 p.m. which had to be approved by all the team leaders. Practice went great, even though I was exhausted, thanks to the awesome welcome Team USA gave me when I arrived. This team was so great!
The competition was so much fun! I skated a clean short program and placed fourth which put me in the last warm-up group. I wasn't expecting that considering all that I had been through and the fact that I had not practiced my junior programs in 8 weeks since I competed as a senior at sectionals. My long program was awesome, also. I stepped out of my last triple Lutz and had a time violation, but I was extremely happy with how I had skated. I stayed in fourth place, but I came close to medaling.
Now that ya'll are all caught up, I want to wish you a happy and safe new year! Training is going really well, and I can't wait until nationals! I'll write again after nationals.
Love always,
Katy