Figure Skating was an integral part of my life for so long that it became normality. While others my age were in public school, I attended online school and homeschool so I could spend more time at the rink practicing for regional competition. I spent my days waking up at 4 AM to go to the rink, either by a 30-minute drive with parents or by an hour long train ride alone. I would skate for 8 hours with breaks for food and Zamboni/Homework. In a mere 4 months, I passed 7 levels of proficiency that had taken others 7 years or more to complete. The day came when I was sure that my diligence would pay off. Despite my best efforts, I took 2nd place. I was devastated. That was the first time I had not won a competition. But instead of giving into
