What or who inspired you to start skating?
My sister Christina inspired me to start skating. She was taking lessons when she was very young, and I thought it looked fun so I started classes at the age of four. As I started going on and on and getting private lessons from a great coach, I started loving the sport and haven't been able to stop since.

Next year, what USFSA level will you be competing at and what competition will we be looking forward to see you in?
I am competing in Junior this year. I will be in Regionals and hopefully go back to Sectionals in Wagon Wheel.

Who choreographs your programs, and what jumps or new moves should we watch out for in your short and long programs for next season?
Well, when I first learn a program, my coach tells me where I should put some choreography, and my sister helps me construct some at the major parts of my programs like the beginnings and the ends. I make my own in-betweens.

In my short program I just have a triple sal [salchow], double toe combination and a double axel, and in my long I have a triple sal double toe combo, a double axel, and maybe a triple toe or triple loop depending on which one I get first.

What is the most memorable skating even you have been to, watched, or skated in and why?
I guess that would have to be at the 2000 Eastern Great Lakes Regionals. I was a nervous wreck before I skated my qualifying long program. I did a clean program so I went to the short. I was nervous but not as nervous as the first program. I did another clean program but this time I came in first so I got really scared. I was thinking that I could go two directions. Either keep up what I was doing with the clean programs or just totally blow the last program. I had a practice session before the final long program that would determine whether I would go to sectionals or stay at home another year. The session went horrible because I saw my other competitors on the same ice and they were awesome. I was in a really bad mood so my parents took me to the mall to get my mind off of things and to just relax. I finally calmed down so we went back to the rink and I saw everyone getting ready so I panicked up again. I was in the last group so I had a long time to wait. I put my skates on and took a deep breath and said to myself, "Whatever happens, do your best and everything will be ok because you did two good programs already." I went out onto the ice and I skated my heart out and I did another clean program. I was so amazed that I couldn't even express my emotions. When the scores finally came out I saw I had made it to sectionals and I ran to my dad and just started bawling on his shoulder. I will never forget that moment.

Have you ever had an embarrassing moment on the ice?
I don't think I have had an embarrassing moment yet. Hopefully when it does happen it won't be that embarrassing.

What makes you love skating so much, and what motivates you to keep going back to the rink every day to train?
I love skating because it's a sport where you can express the way you feel by the way you move your arms and whole body to elegant music and the feeling you get when you do a good job at a competition. What keeps me going some of the time is the voice in my head saying, "Go back and show them what you can do." And some of the time it's just the ice that draws me back because I've done this sport that I love for 10 years, it's become a part of me like a part of my body and I can't just all of a sudden stop without feeling terrible.