The arena lights go out – except for those shining on the ice. Silence fills the slightly chilled air. Then the music starts – and the magic begins! Figure skaters like Rachael Flatt seem to glide effortlessly across the ice, their costumes sparkling just like their talent. And to think all the moves, strides, leaps and spins are done on the knife-edge of a figure skate blade, which is less than one-eighth of an inch wide; one false move can spell disaster!
Flatt Out Fantastic
One of the best figure skaters in the U.S. is Rachael Flatt. Only 17 years old she’s already earned the title of 2008 World Junior Champion. Rachael’s also finished second not one but two times at the U.S. National Championships and placed fifth at the World Championships - higher than any other American figure skater that year. Plus, in 2009, Rachael helped the United States win its first World Team Trophy!
A senior at Cheyenne Mountain High School, where she is enrolled in 4 AP classes (AP English, AP French, AP physics and AP calculus), Rachael - who will be graduating in the spring of 2010 - has her sights set on making Olympic skating history in 2010. ”Everything I do counts toward that ultimate goal of competing in the Olympics.”
Video: Rachael Flatt 2009 Skate America Interview
Related Stories:
