The Chela Mae and Clarisa Show

Speed Skating

So yesterday afternoon my mom, dad, and I left Disneyland and drove an hour in LA traffic to Long Beach. The session started at 6:20 but when i got there at 6:10 they were already skating. So I told the lady at the front desk that I’m new. My parents had to sign a waiver which pretty much intimidated me haha but that didnt stop the excitement running throughout my veins! I walk over to the rink all lost when someone takes me to go put on gear. I put on knee pads, shin pads, neck guard, a helmet, gloves, and finaallly my speed skates. She tied them on super tight cause well thats the way its supposed to be haha. She told me that the ones i had kinda sucked but thats only cause shes so used to her son’s customized ones. I was on cloud 9 the whole time. I kept thinking “one day, this lady is going to be at the P&G house during the winter olympics because her son is going to be an amazing speed skater”

i go in that little box before the actual ice. there was an older lady..okay not old but around 24 years old. she was talking to one of the men. and i told them i was new and i didnt know what i was doing. the man said “its okay i’m new here too” and that lady skated with me over to the beginner class. her names Kat, shes got red hair and she told me that she also figure skated. idk why she went to speed skating class but she did and i’m glad cause she was my first friend.

the class started off with just skating back and forth. the first teacher was a man named steve and he was very helpful. he was so calm cool and collected. There were a bunch of little kids in the class but they for sure werent beginners. I swear they were already skating like apolo ohno haha. There was one little korean girl, she was awesome. the only little girl amongst the boys. They were really talented! I was amazed and kept thinking “in 16 years one of these kids will win a gold medal at the olympics”

we did more drills like skating with buckets and going in and out of cones. a whistle blew and this is when we switched teachers. instead of steve, we went with a lady with blond curly hair who spoke with a hungarian-ish accent. she was JR Celski’s trainer! i knew riight when i saw her and i was in awe! i tell you, in awe! she taught us technique and we’d skate around the whole rink following her. we’d alternate doing this with drills with steve. it was an amazing experience to be taught from the woman who trained Kuya JR. All i was thinking was “this woman was the backbone to Kuya Jr’s success at the olympics”

throughout this whole session there were older people who skated around the rink. they were actually practicing, it was no beginner class for sure. They only trained with Celski’s trainer, not steve. i watched them and it was soooooooo cooool! being right there in the middle of the ice as these guys and girls skate around the rink with suck high speeds! i was in awe. i bet at least one of them will be at the olympics in 2014, then i can say that i skated with them…ish haha (: 

i wanted to go speed skating so bad and i’m so thankful that i had the opportunity to live out that dream! it was nothing short of amazing! i dont wanna sound arrogant but i think i did alright for my first try haha. i was never last during the races we did(; hahaha it was such a privilege to have skated in the rink where kuya jr skated. and to be surrounded by such amazing athletes (which included the older and younger kids) i have gained so much more respect for speed skaters. its hard! my legs were and still are jelly, i guess from all the falling i did. haha i’m so thankful for having this opportunity though! i hope one day i could go back!

my dad said the best part about it was that everything was free, so i think i’ll just end it here haha.

-C. Duuuuu