Two Highlanders skate their way to success on the rink
October 20, 2014
Gliding through the ice, making flips, turns and jumps, two Homestead students have spun their way to success in the world of ice skating. Sammy Puhl and Kileigh Erickson, seniors, have made ice skating an integral part of their lives.
“I have been skating since I was 5 years old, and I turned competitive at age 8,” Puhl recalled. “I come from a family of skaters, so it was only natural to be drawn to the rink,” she added.
For Erickson, “My mom used to take me skating on a lake when I was 5-6 years old, and my sister had been a figure skater so I grew up watching her,” she vocalized.
Since then, practice depends on the type of skater, and for Puhl it is more competitive. “I train for 25 hours a week, including both on and off ice conditioning,” she recounted. “The main focus is to perfect consistency and run my programs, both long and short, as well as work on choreography and individual elements such as jumps or spins.”
On the contrary, skating practice can lean “more towards the side of fun,” Erickson said. “I am focused on testing and moving up the levels so I can coach. I work on all my skating elements including moves, ice dance and freestyle.”
However, the hard work pays off. “The feeling of accomplishment after performing perfectly is euphoric,” Puhl stated. “When you love what you do, I guess the hard work does not really seem like work.”
As a result of ice skating, Puhl has been able to find her own identity. “As a triplet, I know what it is like to be defined by what you are rather than who you are,” she voiced. “Skating allowed me to evolve into an ambitious original – separate but not detached from my family.”
It has also become a source of happiness. “Figure skating has given me something to be proud of,” Erickson articulated. “It has been a source of fun for me growing up.”
In addition, it is an uncommon skill. “I am glad that they do something that not a lot of other people do,” Michaela Rusch, senior, noted. “It is cool to see all of their successes.”
Erickson could not agree more. “I love that skating is something unique about me. Not many people skate so they usually think it’s pretty amazing,” she explained.
Looking forward to the future, the ice skaters are sure that the sport will play a role. “I hope to advance in this sport as much as possible, and am planning to compete for both my college and home club,” Puhl expressed.
Erickson stated that she “hopes to become a gold moves and dance medalist, and one day a coach.”
