I am an adult figure skater

I started figure skating in 2010 as an adult, I was in my mid 30s. I joined a friend to an adult group lesson session offered by my local park district. At first I was skating once a week for 45 minutes in my group class, not thinking of actually learning but just enjoying the ice. I liked the easiness of the gliding, the cold air on my cheeks especially when it was warm outside, and the fact that for those 45 minutes my whole mind was there in a both relaxing and concentrating kind of way.

After around 2 years I graduated the beginner levels into Freestyle discipline, where the jumping and spinning starts and eventual you get to build up programs on music. My group class instructor suggested that I would progress quicker if I would add a practice session per week. Progressing? At that point I was so worried about having to jump, that I didn't actually want to progress. Little did I know that jumping (just half jumps at first) will come waaay easier that spinning for example. Things were becoming interesting, so I welcomed the idea of progress, only to find out that progress was slow. I settled for the next 3 years into a twice a week skating schedule, my group class and my practice session.

Somewhere along the way, skating became more than skating as I've got to meet the warm adult skating community, I gained new friends and I found out  more possibilities in adult figure skating. Like beside doing Freestyle you can do MITF (Moves In The Field) and Ice Dancing, you can take private lessons, put together a program, compete (there is even an adult nationals event), test in front of USFSA (US Figure Skating Association) affiliated judges. Wow!

Here I am today, after 7 years from when I first started, skating 5 days  a week, with 2 half hour private lessons.

I love it so much, I thought I'll share my journey and experiences!