Good Response?

[sk8ryellow]

I dont think anyone has ever brought this topic up and I think it would be interesting to talk about.

So whenever I tell people that I am a Figure Skater they always ask me if I am going to go to the Olympics or if I am training to go to the Olympics. I have encountered many achward situations this way because I dont know how to tell these people that I am not going to go to the Olympics. I dont like to sound negative but I set realistic goals for myself like making it to nationals and stuff but how do I tell this to people who ask me if I am training for the Olympics. I feel like a really negative person when I say no!:frus:

[Mel On Ice]

Just let it go.

I started at 28, was in LTS for two years, and have progressed at a snail's pace through the adult tests. There is a nice gentleman whose grandson I taught in snowplow.This gentleman, when he sees me out in public enthusiastically tells everyone within earshot that I was a star with the Ice Capades, even when I repeatedly insist that I was not. At one point my husband murmured "let it go, he believes it."

Another time, I was in a bar up in the Mackinac area wearing a skating fleece that has my Adult Nationals years listed on the sleeve. Unbeknownst to me, the sleeve folded in such a way that it only showed "Nationals" and a woman down the bar was staring at me pie-eyed while I plowed through a beer and burger (because that is what elites eat, right?). As I was passing, I heard her exclaim to her companion to "look, look!" that she was sure she had seen me on TV and that I was a famous figure skater. I gave her a big smile, said "enjoy your day," delusion complete.

It was kind of fun to get the curious stares like I was a celebrity, but I felt like a sham.

[Isk8NYC]

There is a nice gentleman whose grandson I taught in snowplow.This gentleman, when he sees me out in public enthusiastically tells everyone within earshot that I was a star with the Ice Capades, even when I repeatedly insist that I was not. At one point my husband murmured "let it go, he believes it." That's so cute! Let it go and enjoy the attention, just shake your head and laugh because he LIKES beliving it. Anyone asks, quietly say that you don't know why he thinks that and people will realize that he's not all there.

As I was passing, I heard her exclaim to her companion to "look, look!" that she was sure she had seen me on TV and that I was a famous figure skater. I gave her a big smile, said "enjoy your day," delusion complete.

It was kind of fun to get the curious stares like I was a celebrity, but I felt like a sham.
DH and I were at Mets game and found that we were about 10 rows up from a friend of ours. He's a practical joker, so he came up to us and whispered "Wait five minutes, then come down and ask me for my autograph." He even gave us the program and pen!

So we did because...we like jokes like that. For the rest of the game, people kept sneaking down to the rail where he was sitting and asking him to autograph their papers. I can only imagine who they think they met because his handwriting is illegal on good days! lol

[RachelSk8er]

I used to get this all the time when I was a teenager. It was easy when I was skating synchro. I just explained to people that I did synchronized team skating, and it was not an Olympic sport. Everyone who knew me at school or otherwise knew that I lived and breathed skating. I left early, came in late, missed a lot of school, traveled all over, and brought in medals to show off. So back then it was a reasonable question from people not in the "know."

I'm not going to lie, nowadays I tend to be really sarcastic. What kills me is that this question always tends to come from people who claim that they just love figure skating and they watch it all the time. If they really are a figure skating fan, you would think they would know that females who are my age (29) and my physique (I'm about a 12-14) do NOT compete in figure skating in the Olympics. Someone at work asked me the other day why don't I "just train a little more and try for the Olympics." Yeah, 'cause it's that easy.

That kind of thinking actually deters me from showing videos to people at work, at my law school, etc, or inviting them to come see me skate in a local competition or show (I get asked all the time when I'm skating locally). I'm really self-conscious and if they have in their head that it's just that easy to "try for the Olympics" and that all skaters can skate like what they see on TV, what would they think if they were to come see me skate in an ice show or competition, or if I were to show them a video of my skating? I'm afraid they would be like "wtf, she skates all the time and goes to all these competitions, why are her jumps and spins so bad?" So they can see all the pictures of me skating they want (at least the ones where I don't have a stupid look on my face and where I look thin), but no videos.

[sk8ryellow]

I used to get this all the time when I was a teenager. It was easy when I was skating synchro. I just explained to people that I did synchronized team skating, and it was not an Olympic sport. Everyone who knew me at school or otherwise knew that I lived and breathed skating. I left early, came in late, missed a lot of school, traveled all over, and brought in medals to show off. So back then it was a reasonable question from people not in the "know."

I'm not going to lie, nowadays I tend to be really sarcastic. What kills me is that this question always tends to come from people who claim that they just love figure skating and they watch it all the time. If they really are a figure skating fan, you would think they would know that females who are my age (29) and my physique (I'm about a 12-14) do NOT compete in figure skating in the Olympics. Someone at work asked me the other day why don't I "just train a little more and try for the Olympics." Yeah, 'cause it's that easy.

That kind of thinking actually deters me from showing videos to people at work, at my law school, etc, or inviting them to come see me skate in a local competition or show (I get asked all the time when I'm skating locally). I'm really self-conscious and if they have in their head that it's just that easy to "try for the Olympics" and that all skaters can skate like what they see on TV, what would they think if they were to come see me skate in an ice show or competition, or if I were to show them a video of my skating? I'm afraid they would be like "wtf, she skates all the time and goes to all these competitions, why are her jumps and spins so bad?" So they can see all the pictures of me skating they want (at least the ones where I don't have a stupid look on my face and where I look thin), but no videos.

Oh my gosh thats exactly how I feel!!!!!! Just yesterday I walked into my math class late cause I just finished skating and this kid was like "Hey Francesca are you going to the Olympics" I said "No I am not going to the Olympics I will never make it" and he said "Ya thats right have a negative attitude" it gets so annoying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Schmeck]

When my older daughter skated synchro, her team made it to Nationals twice. People at school (and I work there so we got double-dosed) kept thinking she was all that and Olympic-bound. Didn't help that her mom :mrgreen: provided photos for the school paper with daughter all made up, wearing sparkly rhinestoned costumes, LOL!

Boy was I in trouble when the town paper published the photo and blurb in their school section. I thought my daughter was going to kill me! :oops: They had swiped it from the school paper, I had nothing to do with it!!!! :halo:

[Query]

Say yes! - if you get enough donations to pay your way.

If enough donate, buy a ticket.

[Layne]

People just ask me why I wouldn't rather play hockey (or anything else in the world they can think of). :giveup: I tell them I'm just doing it for the girls. :P

[Oracle]

I'd give a quick lesson on what it takes to make the Olympic team in the USA.
"First I have to make it to our National Championships before hoping to qualify for the Olympics so that is what I focus on now." This might be an acceptable reply.

[Schmeck]

Say yes! - if you get enough donations to pay your way.

If enough donate, buy a ticket.

This reminds me of the time this obnoxious mom at the gymnastics place used to go around saying her daughter was going to the Olympics - we used to take turns saying 'ya, if she buys a ticket' when she was out of hearing range... :halo:

[liz_on_ice]

Heck, if I ever passed senior free test I'd go to regionals and make my bid for a spot on the World team to celebrate! :mrgreen:

[RachelSk8er]

I've also used the "you understand that the Olympics is only one competition every four years, and there is a world championship held every single year, right?" response.