...on succesfully making it through her first event at her first competition today!

Yeah Pat! You did a great job and held it together even without your coach there to guide you.

Good luck in tomorrow's event!

See you there.

Way to go sk8pics! Let's have a detailed report.

Aww, thanks! And a friend can be just as good as a coach! Thanks for being there.

So, I did survive and I did everything without chickening out of anything and I did stay on my feet throughout each event! That was pretty much what I was hoping for. The compulsory moves event was scary for me because I knew I couldn't really do everything required quite as well as it should have been. My one foot spin had nearly desserted me on Friday evening, but it returned for the event and was pretty much as good as it's ever been. I had been worried about having 6 of us (the next group, and mine) warming up together on half the ice surface, but it was fine. One of the other skaters (who I sometimes skate with) and I had a whole conversation during the warmup that went like this: She said, "Oh, sorry, I'm in your way." "No, you're not." "Oh, but yes I am!" "Well, yeah, now you are!" as we kept skating as we talked. It was funny.

There were 4 skaters and I got a first place ordinal and two fourths! That was pretty exciting. And we all got medals, and the other skaters were great! It was nice to meet some new friends. And my friend skatenrides held my guards, water, jacket, and whatever else!

The interpretive free was this morning and I had to skate first. My coach was there today and he was great. He called me over a couple of times during the warmup to tell me to do something again or to do a different section of the program. Then when I was going to go out and do one last waltz jump, he wouldn't let me but just kept talking until the time ran out. I must have had a deer-in-the-headlights look, and he wanted me to rest for a few seconds.

When I was introduced and skated out, I heard all these people clapping and yelling, it was amazing! It really freaked me out just a bit and I felt a surge of emotion, but then I was able to focus and skate. It was funny but the applause during the program didn't distract me at all like the applause when I first skated out. I skated that program as well as I could have, so I was very happy. The next skater out, who also trains at my rink and is a very wonderful person, stopped me and grabbed my hand and hugged me, congratulating me even as she was heading out to skate! I was shaking like a leaf as I got off, though, just from relief I guess. But it was fun, even though I finished 5th (out of 5). That's okay, though; I couldn't have done any better today. Oh, and I got a nice hand when I finished and everyone was so nice. And a new adult student of my coach came running over to hug me and tell me how well I had done.

So, it was a positive experience. It's nice that everyone is so supportive and encouraging! And I'm happy that I got through everything. I do have to say that watching the videotape wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be, though!

I encourage everyone to give it a try!

And thanks again, skatesnrides, for being there!

Pat

Sounds like your first comp was a great success! Congratulations!!

Wow! Sounds like you had a lot of fun - that's great.

__________________
"The only place where success comes before work is in a dictionary." -- Vidal Sasson

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." -- Unknown

And many congratulations on getting a first place ordinal - those are all too rare (in my experience!), so that's terrific.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!