Amber & Alissa Czisny in Detroit FP

[Mazurka Girl]

http://www.freep.com/sports/othersports/skate11_20021211.htm

[Flutzee]

Great article! That's got to be very stressful on the family having two daughters competing at the Senior level. And driving 100 miles each direction! YIKES!

But it sounds like they have a good attitude about competing with each other as opposed to against each other. And it looks like Amber has caught back up to Alissa after recovering from her injury! Good for them!

And good luck to the Czisnys at Nationals!

[rack]

No evil twin there! Great article- thanks for the link.

[Aaron W]

Thanks for the link!

Yikes about the long drive every day. I've driven it a number of times and always get bored with the long distance, lol. :) It's a good thing they're able to do homework and reading during the drive. I always get horribly car sick the second I even attempt to do something like that (I'm sure you all wanted to know that, lol).

Their great spinning ability definitely is a very special aspect of their skating. I always look forward to seeing them perform their amazing spins. :)

[Yazmeen]

This was very nice to read. I remember in the book "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes," two up and comers in the 70's who were twins were profiled, and the story was the exact opposite. The mother was obsessed with skating and tended to pit the girls against each other. When one had to drop out of singles due to IIRC, injury, she was pushed, I believe into pairs. Again, IIRC, neither made it to elite seniors, and they ended up not having a truly close relationship as adults because of the way their parents, especially Mom, pushed them toward success and pitted them against each other in her quest to have a champion. I think the mother wistfully reminisced about how she often thought about ADOPTING to have another child she could put into skating as she was so addicted to trying for a skating champion child. Very, very, sad.

Like the Hughes family with Sarah and Emily, the Czisny's seem to have their hearts AND brains in the right place with their skating daughters. This is good to see.

[Screenie]

Am I reading the article correctly -- their coach is their mother, who was an adult skater but stopped after learning her singles? Then why do they need to train 100 miles away from home?

[AxelAnnie22]

What a wonderful article. I can't wait to see them at US NATS. Would they be on the coverage from last years Jr. Worlds?

[Trillian]

Originally posted by AxelAnnie22
Would they be on the coverage from last years Jr. Worlds?

Nope, neither has qualified for that event yet. Alissa has a pretty decent chance this year depending how she places at nationals, since she's already made the JGP Final--the three girls who made the JGP Final (Liang and DeSanctis being the other two) along with two others who didn't (Mok and Donovan) are likely to be the most serious contenders. (DeSanctis is at a slight disadvantage because she's the only one competing as a junior at nationals.) Amber would probably have to have to beat three of the four senior ladies who did well on the JGP to have a shot at being named to the junior world team, so her chances are much slimmer.

Screenie, the twins aren't coached by their mom--their coach is Julianne Berlin, I believe. I know Amber at least (and probably also Alissa) was coached by Diana Ronayne briefly before Ronayne moved to Colorado, btw.

Yazmeen, I remember reading that story as well. The twins were Amy and Karen (?) Grossman, and Amy was the one who achieved substantially more competitive success--although I don't believe she was ever a national contender at any level in singles. She apparently had trouble passing her senior test as a singles skater and moved into pairs, and was actually a junior worlds competitor in that discipline once ('80 or '81?). I think her career was eventually ended by injuries, while her sister had quit some time earlier.

[peachstatesk8er]

Originally posted by Screenie
Am I reading the article correctly -- their coach is their mother, who was an adult skater but stopped after learning her singles? Then why do they need to train 100 miles away from home?

Julianne Berlin is their primary coach. When the areticle said their mom handles most of the lessons and skating commitments, I think they were referring to the driving, arranging, coodinating, etc.

[JessicaLynn]

I love these girls. I have since I first saw them skate in a club ice show 2 years ago. They are exciting to watch, and really nice girls. I wish them the best and hope they both do great at Nationals! :)

[Gingi]

From LGIPB.

I don't remember where I read this, or if I saw it on TV, but the Grossman's parents eventually divorced, and the dad remarried Robin Wagner, AKA Sarah Hughes coach.

Ironic.

[Yazmeen]

Gingi: He married Robin Wagner???? Oh, my goodness!!!! So they "sort of" have a champion in the family!!! (meaning Sarah). I can' help but imagine the twins' mother's reaction to that one!!!! 8O