The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi have come and gone and most of you watched them.  Did you ever fantasize about being in them?

George Schorse has, and he goes to the Pettit Center almost every day, where he has met some athletes who participated in the Olympics, to practice his ice skating passion.  George has been figure skating since he was 10 and gets up at 4 in the morning to do homework because after school he skates until dinner.  Do you think you could get up that early every morning?  You have to when you have an ultimate goal.  “Of course someday I want to be in the Olympics. Doesn’t everybody?”  he said.

George is very proud of how quickly he has improved over his 3.5 years of skating.  He participates in the Wisconsin Figure Skating Club.  “My main goal this season is to have a good shot at Nationals, in which I am pretty confident in my skating ability in order to do so,” he went on to say.  ‘Nationals’ is the most prestigious competition to most U.S. skaters of all ages.  It, as you may have guessed, is a National competition in which skaters from all across the country participate.  In a different tournament  known as Skate Milwaukee, which took place from July 9 to July 13, 2013, he got third place with a score of 33.76.  He has multiple coaches to help him accomplish his goals, although he mostly practices with Angie Johnsted.  His advice to up and coming skaters is to just keep skating no matter what!

Two important Olympians whom he has met are Jeremy Abbott and Gracie Gold.  Jeremy Abbott is one of his many role models.  “It was surreal…  It was something I will never forget.”  How cool would that be for anyone?!  Meeting your role model!

As you remember watching the Olympics and maybe your role models, think about how ‘cool’ it really is to be able to have such a strong connection to the Olympics and such world-renowned athletes.  Maybe you’ll want to skate one day too!