Team IDC Blog – 2013 Canadians

Blog 1: The Girl with the Unpolished Nails

Wow, what a week already! It’s already Wednesday morning and I’m just realizing now that I haven’t even had a chance to check in here. Things are going well, but the schedule on Monday and Tuesday is always very busy, especially when I am doubling up and also covering all of the disciplines for Golden Skate.

The novice dance event was such a joy to watch, as it usually is. I love seeing the young talented kids showing off at the end of their season, usually without the pressure that often comes with the junior event. The event wasn’t without mistakes, but I was so impressed with the performance quality of all 15 free dances. I’m sure I have some great photos for whenever I have a chance to sort through them!

Some of the novices were skaters I hadn’t seen since Challenge was last here at the Hershey Centre in 2010, and it was wonderful to see how much they have grown up since then.

And of course I was so happy to be in the arena for what I’m fairly sure was the first sweep of a national dance podium for British Columbia. A great honor for Danielle Wu & Spencer Soo, Brianna Delmaestro & Graeme Gordon, Alexa Linden & Tyler Miller, and coaches Megan Wing & Aaron Lowe. Megan wasn’t in town yet for their free dance, but both coaches were back in the rink for the medal ceremony, sitting next to me with their own kids, 15-month old twins Keauna & Tayson. The babies have changed so much since I last saw them, when they were newborn, and they are both such charmers already!

I have seen most of the junior skaters at one practice or another between Monday and Tuesday, but not all just yet, so I’m very excited for short dance practice today. Speaking of great events, I know that this evening’s SD will be exciting.

In my own news, it is now day 4 at the rink and although I am tired, I am not completely exhausted, I am not at all sick, and I have even averaged one real meal per day, so I am well ahead of where I was at this time last year.

I’d say that I am finally developing more realistic expectations of what I can handle in order to make it through this long week, but I did bring nail polish with me and fully expected that I’d have time to give myself a manicure at some point, so I guess I am still delusional.

– Mel