The Olympics have recently been in our living room TVs but we have a figure skater of our very own to watch develop in the sport.
Isabella Obreza began skating when she was just four years old. Her preschool suggested that becoming involved in an activity might ease her shyness. Her fascination with skating kicked in from the moment she stepped on the ice. Competition (Skating for Skills) began at age 5 and the resulting gold medal has kept her hooked ever since . She has won 200 medals, give or take, in competitions in NY, KY, IN, MI, and PA. Competition holds no fears for her, inside the rink she feels at home, and her confidence has grown with the challenges.
This has not always been easy. Isabella is tall for a skater and one whose growth has not been “slow and steady” but often “leaps and bounds”, making the essential factor of muscle memory very difficult to maintain. Growing 2 inches in a week means starting over to learn new moves—difficult and discouraging for anyone not committed to the sport, and committed she is. She skates 4-5 days a week, since beginning, averaging 8-10 hours a week. Isabella combines this rigorous schedule with complementary off-ice activities such as yoga and ballet, with strengthening programs through the summer; other school activities like soccer and cheerleading fell by the wayside so she could focus on her skating.
Injuries also figure in to any sport. Stitches in the chin and eyebrow? Yes. Jumper’s knee? Yes. Labrum tear at the hip? Still painful, still battling back with creative approaches to the elements required to comprise a competition program. After each setback, she’s back on the ice to avoid becoming “gun shy”, working to be the best she can be.
Isabella has passed her Novice Free Skate level and is looking toward accomplishing Junior and Senior level standards on her way to becoming a coach in the sport. She has recently begun teaching learn-to-skate classes at the Kent State Ice Arena, where she has been a member of the Kent Skating Club since age 7. She loves sharing her passion for the sport and her students are inspired by this. The confidence and companionship gained in this relationship and the friendships made have brought out the best in a quiet competitor.
We give her a 10!
