Skating to the olympics

JOLIET – Meredith Schroeder practiced dance steps, flips and spins on the ice at Inwood Ice Arena. She also tested her endurance after a power skating class Thursday afternoon.

“People think that figure skating is just a skill,” said Schroeder, 14, of Joliet. “But to succeed you have to be passionate and work your best to get to the Olympics.”

As the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, start, local figure skaters and instructors in Joliet are excited to watch and see the pinnacle of their sport.

Illinois has had its share of recent figure skating success. Highland Park resident Jason Brown and Gracie Gold from Springfield are competing in the 2014 Olympics. They are trying to replicate the success of Naperville native Evan Lysacek, who won the men’s figure skating gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Deanna Tully, an ice skating instructor who helps run the Skate School at Inwood Ice Arena, said Lysacek used to skate at Seven Bridges Ice Arena in Woodridge when she worked there.

“He was a real good skater at that age,” Tully said. “I don’t watch too many of the competitions because of my schedule, but I think our skaters have a good chance to medal this year.”

Tully said the Olympics always piques interest in ice skating, whether it’s ice hockey or figure skating.

"It isn't just the kids,
people all across the board of all ages watch the Olympics and are interested," Tully said.

Joliet resident Katie Welz, a skating instructor for the Skate School, said the biggest jump in enrollment occurs after the Olympics.

“Since the Olympics are only every four years, people only realize the sport exists when it comes,” Welz said. “People see the amazing things they do and want to learn. It’s not that easy.”

Welz, 21, used to skate competitively in her teenage years. She went to junior national competitions when she was 13, practicing four hours each day for six days a week with a skating instructor and also taking ballet classes.

“It’s not just a sissy sport,” Welz said. “There’s no other sport where you jump with two blades and land on one. It combines athleticism and artistry. Some people think you just go out and look pretty. But figure skaters are some of the best athletes in shape.”

Schroeder has been ice skating since she was 5 years old. Her personal goal is to eventually skate in the Olympics. So she practices two times a week and has a personal coach to help her reach higher levels of skating.

“I think it’s everyone’s dream to make the Olympics,” Schroeder said. “But skating is fun too. I like the different ways you can move your body, and I get good exercise too.”

Parents of young skaters who might not remember when Lysacek won the gold medal by a 1.31 point margin over Russian Evgeni Plushenko, and their parents have found a greater appreciation of figure skating.

“We’ll know what the moves mean and what they’re talking about now,” said Channahon resident Tracy Robson, whose 7-year-old daughter Emma skates at Inwood. “We know from what Emma does, it just takes a lot of hard work and consistency.”

Over the years, skating instructor Amanda Donisch, who competed in United States Figure Skating Association events until she turned 18, has seen figure skating get more popular.

“I started teaching after that because I wanted to give back, to share my knowledge with kids,” she said. “The rules have changed over the years that maybe helped make the Olympic sport easier for people not familiar with it.”

Local skaters and residents can have their own Olympic moments at Inwood’s annual Ice Show on April 11 and 12. The show’s theme this year is the Olympics. Skaters can register at the ice arena by Feb. 16.