Figure Skating in Northern Ontario
Meagan Duhamel,
Running with the courage of her convictions
March 29, 2005
Meagan
Duhamel of Walden Ontario says she wasn't too tired, she had a bad
skate.
Meagan is a young woman of remarkable
courage and determination, as evidenced by her comments this morning.
Meagan, after a mere six months into her
transition to pairs skating, assured herself a place in figure skating
history, along with partner Ryan Arnold, by being the first pairs team to
ever land side-by-side triple lutzes. In spite of this, things did not
go as well as many, including Meagan herself, had hoped at the Nationals. Meagan says her grueling
schedule was blamed. She's spent the last several months training at
both her current Junior level, and her soon to be needed Senior level,
both as a single skater, and as part of a pairs team. Where most
competitors find it hard enough dealing with one round of practice, Meagan is
handling four. And... making figure skating history while she's at it.
While many of us might be grateful to
others for handing us a ready made, and all too understandable, excuse when
we mess up, Meagan just sounds irritated by it. She says she didn't feel
tired. She just didn't skate very well a couple of times. Period. Bad
day, she messed up, it happens. No excuses necessary.
She also says that she won't let it stop
her. While many are pushing her to choose between single or pairs
skating, she doesn't want to just yet. Meagan says she knows she'll have
to in the future, but at this point she's enjoying both and doesn't feel
stressed by handling the practice and competitions needed to pursue both
types of skating. And, she points out laughing, she only has to focus on
Senior level skating in the future, half the problem's gone. Meagan says
she'll likely pick one or the other only after she's proved she can
do both, and do both well.
Which somehow sounded easy with Meagan
Duhamel saying it.
