The cold hits her first. As soon as she opens the doors to step onto the floor, she feels it.  She hates the cold, but she loves the sport.

Sophomore An Nguyen began figure skating at the age of 10, when her parents noticed her admiration for the grace of the figure skaters she watched on television.  She figure skated for the Wagon Wheel Figure Skating Club at the Crystal Ice House, practicing three to four times a week by the time she reached her juvenile level.

Figure skating quickly proved not to be all about the dresses and the beauty.  Skaters train for months to prepare for their most demanding day:  testing day.

“There are these patterns, like stroking, where you go around the whole rink, just patterns of footwork,” said Nguyen. “I had trouble on that the most, but you had to perfect them.  Those are the most stressful days, more stressful than competitions. There are barely any people watching, and it’s quiet. You can hear every stroke, every push, and if you went on your toe pick, which is bad, the judges could hear it.”

However, Nguyen proved to be a talented skater in her competitions, earning first or second place in most of them. She specifically remembers her second competition, at which she competed against another girl, believed to be incredibly talented. Nguyen did not let her nerves get the best of her.

“I just got on the ice, and I did my program,” said Nguyen. “When I warmed up my program, I thought it was okay, and I competed. I kind of failed on one of the spins, but I guess it worked out.”

She got first place that day.

Nguyen reached her juvenile level before quitting at the age of 15. Despite loving the sport, she decided that she wanted to focus on her schoolwork. But she would never forget the feeling she got while figure skating.

“It’s like you’re stepping into a different world,” said Nguyen. “It’s just freeing and nothing can really bother you. You’re in your own little world in that ice rink and everything is just disappears around you.”