Happy National Girls & Women in Sports Day!
Commemorated annually, National Girls & Women in Sports Day honors the achievements of girls and women in sports as well as the positive impact sports can have in their lives.
To celebrate, U.S. Figure Skating caught up with some of Team USA's up-and-coming junior skaters to ask them how skating makes them feel and why.
Annika Chao, Women's
Exhilarating
When you have that speed and you just fly on the ice and you connect with the judges, or when you land that perfect jump with such a good, strong landing, or when you're doing a spiral and you're going so fast and you see everyone and you're smiling, it's exhilarating.
Naomi Williams, Pairs
Inspired
Now we train with Amber Glenn, and she was always someone I was watching on TV when I was a little girl. Even when she was first coming up in juniors, I was watching her then. She slowly built a name for herself, so when I went to Colorado Springs and now I see her every day, in the locker room she's such a nice person. That inspires me to be like her. I want to be nice and have people look up to me. I want to be like Amber.
Jenna Hauer, Ice Dance
Powerful
Even if I can't show who I am as much in person, especially with social anxiety, I feel like it all fades away when I get on the ice and I can show more power. It increases every day of training, and so I feel better and better about myself as a person when I go out and skate each day.
Logan Higase-Chen, Women's
Excited
When I'm skating, there's a lot of potential. When I'm out there, I know the opportunity for me to do well.
Olivia Flores, Pairs
Free
It's almost an escape. Obviously, it's a very big thing in my life and the feeling you get from it is unlike anything else. It's very freeing. There's also a bit of flying on jumps and throws.
Leah Neset, Ice Dance
Proud and Humble
It is difficult to choose one word, since skating can give such a wide range of emotions, but I would say that skating makes me feel proud because of the work we have done, but also humble because there is always something that can be better.
Keira Hilbelink, Women's
Free
Of course there's a lot of rules, but you also get to choose what you get to do and what you do is what you do best.
Cleo Park, Women's
Happy
I get to express my feelings to the audience, and I can show off my jumps and tell the audience how I'm feeling with how I'm skating.
Junior Skaters Share Impact of Skating on National Girls & Women in Sports Day
To celebrate National Girls & Women in Sports Day, Team USA’s up-and-coming junior skaters talk about how skating makes them feel and why.
