Students Skate Through Demands of High School

by Callie Schweitzer

(December 1, 2005) Mamaroneck High School students Elizabeth Cruikshank and Andrew Sawyer have a lot more to focus on this year than college applications and SATs – like their competitive skating careers. This past October, both skated in the 2006 North Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships in Lake Placid, NY, where over 400 figure skaters under the age of 18 came from New York and New Jersey seeking to qualify for Nationals. Both were overcoming injuries, and though neither made it to the next level, both are looking forward to competitive skating in college.

Andrew Sawyer, recovering from having torn the inner lining of his hip in training was particularly pleased to be able to perform. “It took me about a year to recover and even now I still have to be careful about what I do,” he said. “But when I went to Regionals this year my goal wasn’t to win; I just wanted to go and put out the best programs that I could.”

Andrew’s determination and willpower helped speed up his recovery. He established a routine of four to six two-hour practices a week as well as many Pilates classes to increase his flexibility and strength training. “The hardest part was when I first started jumping again last April. It was painful and very frustrating because I couldn’t jump the way I used to. I began to land my jumps again in July, so I had about two months to get my jumps as consistent as I could, move up a level, get new programs (that were each a minute longer than my old ones) and practice the programs over and over,” he explained. Support from family and friends helped him ease back into his competitive routine. “I had a lot of support from the coaches at my rinks as well as the skaters and even some of the judges at Regionals—that was a huge compliment.”

Was he distressed over not continuing on in the competition? A positive attitude helped him look at this loss with the same mindset as his injury. “The way I see it, I was most worried about never being able to jump again. Just being able to be in that competitive atmosphere again was a privilege. There is always next year to stand up and win.”

Andrew has been skating his entire life and at this point has many other successes to his credit. In 2002, which was his first time at the North Atlantic Regional Championships, he won first place in the Open Juvenile Level. However, the event wasn’t a qualifying event and did not help him move on to the next level.

Though only a high school junior, Andrew already seems to know where he’s headed. “I am looking at schools where I can continue to skate as well as teach skating, but since figure skating isn’t an NCAA sport, colleges don’t recruit for it,” he said. “I plan on going to college so I don’t have to rely on my skating for a career. Boys are lucky because they have a longer time to compete, so it’s definitely possible for me to go to college and then finish my skating career. My long term goal is to make it to nationals, but I definitely wouldn’t complain if I got to the Olympics.”

Lizzy Cruikshank, who recently competed in the Ladies Junior Freestyle level at the regional competition, also has no regrets over not making it further. She, too, was recovering from an injury. “On December 19 th of last year, I was in the middle of a program in a skating show when my partner Robert lost his balance and dropped me from eight feet in the air,” she said. She was told by a specialist in New York that her fractured and dislocated sternoclavicular (collarbone area) would mean four to five months off the ice and a lot of physical therapy. “It was the longest time I’ve ever been off the ice since I was seven years old.” By May of 2005, in the midst of AP exams and SATs, she was ready to begin easing her way back into skating. More intensive training began in August, leaving her about two months to get completely back in shape and create a new program.

“I was not expecting or even hoping to win,” she said. “I was really happy to get back on the ice and try my hardest, and I was thrilled with my performance.”

Lizzy has also found a way to combine her love of skating with her interest in helping others. Last April, she organized Blades Against Aids, a figure skating show to benefit the Save the Children AIDS in Africa fund. (See: Local Skater Lines Up Skate Champions for Benefit: April 2) Twenty-nine skaters participated and she even cajoled members of the MHS school board and administration into making cameo appearances. “We raised $8,500 and are hoping to do even better this year.” The second Blades Against Aids event is tentatively scheduled for mid-March 2006.

Despite training six days a week for two to three hours a day, Lizzy still finds time to check out colleges and do her school work. “From the time I was in elementary school, I’ve always had to balance my schedule,” she said. “I’ve just become good at not procrastinating too much.” Her main interest is in colleges with skating rinks, not necessarily skating teams. She laughed, “I definitely want to continue skating through college, but I haven’t exactly thought through the years of my life after college.”

Though today’s high school students all have packed schedules, Andrew Sawyer and Lizzy Cruikshank have both found ways to add daunting training and performance regimens to their already busy lives. Along the way, they have both found ways to continue pursuing a passion for skating.

Callie Schweitzer is a junior at Mamaroneck HIgh School and a regular contributor to the Larchont Gazette.

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