As a former regional and sectional figure skating champion, I always await the Winter Olympics with great excitement. I know I’m not alone, as millions tune in to watch the Olympic games, and figure skating is at the top of their ‘must-see’ list.
Skating has always played a big role in my life. I learned early on about setting goals, working hard and having a skill-set that can be applied to many aspects of life. How so? For example, even today I easily recall learning how I couldn’t master the triple jump without learning the basic elements of the single jump. I have applied that lesson to life, and realize that when you deconstruct your goals into mini goals, life’s achievements become that much more attainable.
Last year on the set of HGTV‘s Flea Market Flip I made a new friend, Charlotte who also happens to live in this area. Since then we have had many wonderful times together, and when she discovered my former skating abilities she knew her four-year-old daughter would love to take a lesson with me. Since I ran the ‘Learn to Skate’ program for ten years, as Head Coach for the Town of Westport, I have lots of experience teaching children. And adults, too, who were also looking to discover the benefits this sport.
As a lifestyle expert, I teach my Casual Luxury solutions very much the same way as I did with skating: I make it fun, then deconstruct the elements/process, and built on each step. Successfully skating is a lot like our everyday lives, as there is no simple escalator ride up to success; rather, there is a series of steps that represent achievements. To this day, I take pride in holding someone’s hand and, truth be told, whether it’s a child’s first lesson or someone on “Team MAR” looking for help, the discipline is one in the same.
So this week I laced-up and introduced the world of skating to a cute-as-a-button four-year-old student named Eleanor (a name as cute as she is!). I quickly learned that her pink hat was not a pig; she corrected me and told me it was, in fact, a MARtian! (How perfect!) In less than 20 minutes on the ice, she was marching, gliding and getting up all by herself. Eleanor was a star, and I was proud to be part of her first experience on the ice.
I even took a moment to show off some of my fancy skating moves. Her eyes opened wide, as even the littlest MARtians have fun with LIFE ON MAR’S!
