Skating As A Sport for Life

As the music stops, the steel blades of my figure skates glide across the ice as I enter my final pose. The spotlight settles on me. A crowd of Princeton students applauds. I skate to center ice, bow, and wave to friends and classmates as I leave the ice. After the skating show, several spectators, many previously unaware of the life I led before Princeton, compliment my performance and ask me about my skating background.

Prior to attending Princeton University, I was an international-level competitive figure skater. I competed at U.S. Nationals three times at various age groups: twice in the singles discipline and once in pairs, where my partner and I won a silver medal. Of course, this success wasn't without effort. During the peak of the competitive season, I'd skate twice a day: in the morning before school and again in the afternoon. I'd travel from Hershey, PA to Northern Virginia twice a week for lessons on jump technique while doing homework in the car. After taking a gap year in 2021 to focus on skating, I matriculated to Princeton and quickly realized that being a student was a full-time job. I consequently decided that I would step away from competition and focus on my studies. Nonetheless, I didn't entirely let go of figure skating or the lessons I've learned from it. Rather, it's continued to shape me both on and off the ice.

At the end of each semester, I performed in the Princeton University Skating Club's ice show. Practicing for these always drew me back onto the ice to sharpen the skills I'd put on hold throughout the earlier parts of the semester. Returning to the ice felt like a chance to briefly return to a previous life — one frozen in time. Additionally, the shows provided a welcome opportunity for me to showcase a different side of myself (one that synergizes artistry with athleticism) for my classmates, teachers, and colleagues.

My time on the ice wasn't limited to just these performances, however. I also led a successful revitalization of Princeton's Special Olympics Skating Program. Princeton's previous program was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reestablishing it required nearly a year of work alongside New Jersey's Special Olympics governing body and the Princeton administration, figure skating club, and varsity ice hockey teams. Now, the program has ten volunteer coaches who teach about fifteen athletes every Sunday morning at Princeton's Baker Rink. Despite the difficulties, the project has had a direct, demonstrable impact that I've found fulfilling and validating of my ability to enact real-world change.

Even when I wasn't preparing for a performance or leading volunteer efforts, skating's influence on me remained. Despite my transition from athlete to student, my thought process, discipline, and tenacity remained. I approached any new class, concept, or skill the same way I would a new jump or spin: persistent practice coupled with the incorporation of constructive, actionable feedback. I prepared for exams the same way I would for any other competition or performance. And when I fell short of goals, I got up, analyzed how I could improve, and worked to implement any such revisions to my approach.

As I see it, these are the skills one must hone to achieve any goal, whether that be going to the Olympics, acing a class, or building something that matters. Now transitioning into the next stage of my life at MIT Sloan, I've resolved to continue bringing my lessons from figure skating into everything I do.