Katy Lynn Taylor, whose nickname is "Skaty Katy," was born on October 22, 1989. She lives in Houston, Texas, and represents the Texas Gulf Coast FSC. Taylor won the silver medal at Novice Nationals this past January and a silver medal at her first international, the Triglav Trophy, this past April.

In your spotlight interview back in early January, you said your goals for 2003 Novice Nationals were "to skate my best, have fun, and get anywhere from 11th place to 1st place." Now, looking back four months later, can you assess how successful you were in achieving your goals?
Well, four months later it's still kind of hard for me to believe that I placed 2nd in the whole country! I definitely skated my best and had a lot of fun, so I would call myself pretty lucky to be this successful with my goals!

How would you describe your first "big" Nationals experience, both on and off the ice?
Well, my first Nationals experience was just like a big whirlwind, but I had so much fun! My off ice experiences at Nationals were really awesome! One of my favorite off ice memories is hanging out in the competitors' room with all the high level skaters. I didn't really know what to expect when I first saw them, but they were all really nice! Also, I really enjoyed being right there watching all the skaters practice and compete live instead of watching it on TV. This was not only my first Nationals as a competitor, but also as a spectator! My on ice experience was totally cool! I'll never forget skating in the big arena with the Dallas Nationals' logo painted on the ice and hearing all my family and friends who came from Houston to cheer me on! I'll also never forget hearing the ABC theme music come on as we took the ice for our 5 minute warm-up. That was really cool!

Did you enjoy your first international competition, Triglav Trophy, April 10-13, 2003, in Slovenia?
I had a blast at my first international competition! The area where we stayed was so nice and really cute! It was a little village in the mountains and there was snow everywhere. In between skating practices, we went to see a castle in Bled, Slovenia, and after the competition we spent a day in Venice, Italy, shopping, watching how they make crystal by blowing the glass through a tube, and riding a gondola through the canals of Venice. I also had so much fun cheering on the other Team USA members! Competing in my first international competition was awesome! It was such a great feeling to represent the U.S.A.! It was also a great feeling to be part of a U.S.A. podium sweep! Meeting all the skaters from so many different countries was so much fun! I even went snow sledding with my new friends from The Netherlands! It was a great experience! [Note: Taylor's 2003 Triglav Trophy photos can be viewed here.]

Can you tell me how you skated (including jumps attempted/landed) in your Novice programs at Triglav Trophy?
In my short program, I skated clean, landing the required elements: single Axel, double Axel-double toe, and double Lutz. We were not allowed to do triples in the short program and only allowed to do one double axel. In my long program, I landed my opening combination double Axel-double toe. I then landed a triple Lutz, I held on to my triple loop, landed my second double Axel, landed a double Lutz, fell on triple Salchow, and then landed my final jump combination, double flip-double toe. I was really excited to land my triple Lutz because that was the first time I competed with it in my program.

How was your experience at the USFSA high performance training camp in Colorado Springs in late April?
I learned a lot, and I had tons of fun! I made a lot of new friends, and I had a blast staying in the dorms! I even got to meet some other athletes like speed skater Apollo Anton Ohno and gymnast Blaine Wilson! I also got to swim in the Olympic pool! It was an awesome trip to the Olympic Training Center!

Which aspects of the camp did you find the most useful and why?
I think the most useful part was when we actually got to watch our taped jumps on the DVD, and the jumps were broken down to where you could see the slightest mistake! It was really cool, and they even let us keep the DVD!

How have you managed to balance your full-time schooling this past year in light of your increased number of competitions (Nationals, Triglav Trophy) and skating activities (training, USFSA camp)?
Well, keeping school balanced this year was really tough, but I have a really great principal that was super understanding and so were my teachers. After competition was over, I would take a couple of days off from skating until I felt I could manage my school work because my education always comes before skating!

Have you been invited to the junior ladies event in the North American Challenge Skate (NACS), July 31-August 3, in Edmonton?
Yes, I will be competing as a Junior in Canada, and I am really excited because I have never been to Canada before. We are working really hard to get my new Junior programs ready for this competition.

Have you already passed your Junior freestyle test? Would you like to reveal the music for your new programs at this time?
Yes, I actually passed my Junior freestyle test before I went to Triglav Trophy, and I think I want the music to be a surprise for when I compete the first time!

Are you planning to compete in any club competitions this summer? Which ones?
Yes, I will be competing my Junior programs for the first time at the Broadmoor Open in June. The North American Challenge will be in July/August. In September, I'll compete at one of my home rinks in the Houston Fall Invitational. It's a great competition, because it really prepares me right before Regionals.

What are your early skating goals for the 2003-04 season?
My early skating goals are to get my triple flip and triple toe consistent for this upcoming competition and to keep working on my speed and flow in and out of my programs. I would also like to pass my senior field moves!