Krissa Miller is 18 years old and skates for the SC of Lake Placid (NY). She trains in Newark, Delaware, and is coached by Karl Kurtz and Priscilla Hill. She also works with her mother. Miller does some of her own choreography and also collaborates with Jeri Campbell. In the 2002-03 season, she qualified for her first-ever U.S. National Championships and placed 18th in senior ladies. She currently attends the University of Delaware and is a political science major.

How and when did you begin skating?
Both my parents skated and coached -- my mom, figure skating, and my father, speed skating -- but they did not want me to skate, so my mother's coach from when she was growing up bought my first pair of skates and I started skating in Lake Placid on the outdoor speedskating oval. I was five when I started skating. But I did not compete until I was seven.

What are your long-term goals in skating and off the ice?
My long term goals on the ice are to hopefully compete internationally and to make it to nationals again next season. I would also like to become a judge and accountant so, even when I am done with the sport, I can give back to it. Off the ice, I would like to graduate from college and then go on to law school. I would also like to get into politics eventually.

Will you be competing at any club competitions this summer?
I am planning on competing this summer. So far, the competitions that I know I am doing this summer are the Lake Placid Open (my home club), Liberty Open, and Cranberry Open. I'll probably do one more -- I just haven't decided which one yet.

What was qualifying for 2003 Nationals like?
Easterns this year was amazing for me. I was just trying to go out and show everyone how hard I had worked at improving this year. I wanted to place somewhere in the top seven because that would have been my highest finish at sectionals. I had no intention to make it to Nationals this season -- I just wanted to go out and have fun and skate the best I could. I was in complete shock when I was in third after the short, and I have to say that it was so great to make it this year because I have worked so hard this past season.

Will you share your most memorable or embarrassing skating moment? My most memorable skating moment is a tie -- it is a toss up between my short programs at both Mid-Atlantics and Easterns and also making it to Nationals this season.

Can you describe your first Nationals experience in Dallas?
Nationals was so much fun. Skating in front of all those people in the rink was amazing. That was the largest audience I had ever skated in front of. The kiss and cry was a lot of fun. I met a lot of new people and I got to see first hand how the top skaters in the country and the world work. It was such a privilege to skate on the same ice as Michelle Kwan. I learned what I have to work on to get to the next level of my skating. Overall, Nationals was an amazing experience, I learned a lot, and hopefully I will get to go again.

What was it like to deliver the keynote address in front of over 5000 people at the opening ceremonies of the Empire State Winter Games in Lake Placid, New York, on February 21, 2003? Could you summarize your speech?
Delivering the keynote address at the Empire State Games was so amazing. I was chosen to speak to the athletes and give them some advice on what they can do to reach their dreams. When I was first chosen, I had no clue why I was chosen (past people that gave the address were Olympians and other people of importance) or what I was going to say. So I went up on stage and told all the athletes and people in the audience what had gotten me to reach for my goals and basically just explained to them that they can do anything they want if they set their mind to it. I also told them my favorite quote, which happened to be what helped me train for the season: "Luck is a dividend of sweat; the more you sweat the luckier you get." It was also exciting to be able to go up on stage and thank the community of Lake Placid for all the support they have given me over the years. It was also really cool looking out at 5000 people and knowing that they were all listening to me. That was also kind of scary though. Through this, I also got the chance to meet many mazing people, including the Governor and Senate members, plus members of the [New York state] lottery. I own them so much for this experience and I think this is one of the most amazing experiences I have had because of my skating. It was something that I will cherish forever.

What do you consider to be the weakest and strongest aspects of your skating?
I think the weakest aspect of my skating would be my jumping. That is probably why it is the part I have been working on the most. I think every part of my skating needs improvement so I can get to the next level, and I am trying to make overall improvements on everything. I think my strongest aspect is my work ethic. I am a perfectionist by nature, so I go to the rink every day and work my hardest to improve. My theory is that if you work harder than everyone, eventually you will be able to beat them. Plus "luck is a dividend of sweat; the more you sweat the luckier you get," so why not work and sweat as much as you can.

What is your favorite jump?
I really like double axel and triple lutz. I don't really mind any of the jumps except for toe [loop]. I absolutely despise toes!!!

Who are your favorite skaters and why?
I don't really have any favorite female skaters. I respect and admire different things in each one of them. My favorite male skaters are Todd Eldredge for his power and presentation on the ice. I also really like Emanuel Sandhu -- he is extremly entertaining and his programs are just so much fun to watch. In pairs, I like Shen & Zhao and Sale & Pelletier. For dance, absolutely love Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz. They are talented skaters and the nicest people. Plus they have had an amazing career.

What are some of your off ice hobbies?
Off the ice, I enjoy reading, hanging out with friends, singing and acting, and riding horses whenever I get a chance.

What is it about skating that makes you love it so much? It is not just one thing about skating that makes me love the sport. I love it because I love to perform for people. I also like the fact that, no matter how good you get, there is always something else to work on in this sport. There is no such thing as perfection, and that is kind of neat. No matter how far you go, there is always something else to reach for. I also like the fact that it is just you out on this ice. No one else can skate for you. I also like that no matter what is going on off the ice, when you're on the ice, you can just escape everything.