When’s the last time you’ve worked for something that’s been self-rewarding? Something worthy of focus, discipline, and commitment to reach a goal that takes years of hard to work to achieve?
Caroline Allam, a 33-year-old graduate student in Community Planning and Development at USM’s Muskie Schoo brought home the gold medal in the Ladies Interpretive I program at the United States Adult National Figure Skating Championship held at The Cube in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The competition included over 800 adult figure skaters April 3 to 6. The skaters compete in programs such as freestyle, artistic, dance, and pairs in events which correspond to their age group.
Allam skates in Class I (ages 25 to 35) at the Bronze Level, where there are no double jumps and no axles allowed.
Allam had passed the official USFSA (United States Figure Skating Association) Adult Bronze skating test in December 1999, after four years of preparation.
“I can’t believe how tough and focused I had to be to do it. I never knew I had it in me until I tried,” Allam said.
Allam was the only skater representing the North Atlantic Figure Skating Club of Falmouth, as well as the only Maine skater to compete at the national level.
As an honor of her achievement, Allam reprised her performance this week as the guest star in Portland Ice Arena’s 17th Annual show, Artistry on Ice.
The show features children and adults who skate at the Portland Ice Arena.
“I’ll be skating my freestyle program as well as my artistic number.”
Allam earned her gold medal in Ladies Interpretive I, an event in which skaters are judged on their ability to interpret a piece of music and develop a theme using creativity in movement, costume, and expression.
In these competitions anything goes – music with words, gorilla costumes, and even flirting with the audience. Allam’s winning program was a parody of tango entitled “Jealousy.”
She was the first of 13 skaters, so her presentation and performance had to be solid in order to be remembered by the judges.
In the end, she skated away victoriously with the gold medal in hand. In the same event last year, Allam took home the silver medal.
Allam also competed in the Ladies Bronze I, a freestyle event. Her program consisted of a bluesy rendition of the old swing standard, “In the Mood.”
At this level skaters are judged over one minute and 40 seconds, in which they do seven jumps and two spins, plus spirals, footwork, and other unique figure skating elements.
There were over 40 women competing in the qualifying round. Allam finished a strong fifth in order to move on to the next round.
“I skated my hardest program ever and finished in a three-way tie for sixth that put me in eighth overall,” Allam said.
Last year Allam competed in the same event and finished 15th overall in a field of 65 women.
For Allam adventure to compete at the National level in Ann Arbor “was about the journey, and not the destination.”
Her performance lasted for one minute and 40 seconds, but the journey tested her character.
“The truth is you just don’t show up and skate at Nationals. It takes discipline, commitment, and focus,” she said.
She had prepared for this competition with extensive training, usually averaging 10 hours a week for the past six months.
A knee injury from a cross-country ski tumble in early January was not going to set her back.
After a quick two-week recovery from her spill, Allam trained hard with her coach, Lynda Hathaway, director of the Portland Ice Arena, in order to make up lost time.
Allam said her five-year coach had given her the proper qualities and abilities that it takes to be a finesse figure skater.
Hathaway presented Allam with ten different ways on how to break down the skill involved in learning a new jump or a difficult spin.
Allam executed those ten steps with hard work and devoted practice.
“I’ve worked seven years for this moment and I hope to enjoy every minute of it.”
Contributing writer Peter LaMontagne can be contacted at [email protected]