Olympic dreams do not die young

by Lindsey Elling
For The Post

The lights are down except for one single spotlight that follows me to the center of the ice. I pause, strike a pose, and then the music starts.

Suddenly, I’m transformed into a graceful beauty, gliding and swooping across the ice, performing daring jumps, dangerous stunts and skillful spins.

I am a figure skater realizing my Olympic dream.

Well, OK, so this is not the Salt Lake Ice Center but rather Bird Arena, and it’s not the 2002 Winter Olympics, but my Ice Skating I class. There are no spotlights or judges, just my fellow classmates and me.

I still feel like I am realizing a small dream.

When I was younger, I would watch the Winter Olympics and the figure skating competitions religiously.

At nine years old, I decided I was going to be a figure skater in the Olympics and win that gold medal. Of course, being nine, I didn’t realize how much work was involved in becoming a good figure skater, especially if you’ve never ice skated before.

Still, I was determined. I practiced spins and gliding across my kitchen floor in my socks, and if I ever did get on ice I would try my hardest to spin gracefully and glide through turns, but I usually ended up on my face. I couldn’t even skate backwards.

Eventually, reality set into my adolescent mind and I let my ice-skating dream die.

Not completely, though.

I used to (and still do) drag friends along to the ice rink and have been known to attempt skating moves in icy parking lots. I still will catch figure skating competitions on ESPN.

Which brings me back to Bird Arena and my ice skating class. I start onto the ice and although there are no spotlights, stands full of adoring fans or judges, I still feel as if I’m realizing that small dream from long ago. Finally I am learning to skate properly, spinning, stopping, and yes, even skating backwards.

It might not be good enough to win a gold medal at the Olympics, but it’s good enough for me. And my friends are even a little impressed.

So the next time the Winter Olympics roll around, I’ll be ready.

—Elling is a freshman journalism major. Send her an e-mail at post_sports@hotmail.com