School is a very important part of a kid’s upbringing, however it can be very tiring for those who have no interest in what they must study. For students, extracurriculars are a way to do things which they enjoy and find escape from the stress and anxiety they face in their real lives. Abigail Van Helden, a freshman who recently began to figure skate, talks about her experience with starting a new sport as she goes into her freshman year.

“Growing up, my mom was obsessed with the Winter Olympics so she always had it on and I always wanted to [get involved with ice skating],” said Van Helden.

Her interest in skating started at a young age but she never felt like getting involved. She described her young self as socially awkward and scared, but finally joining figure skating helped change that and even gain new friends.

“There’s no real end goal, I’m just doing it with my friends. I had my first competition in August and that was fun so I’m probably just gonna do a couple more of those and see where it takes me,” said Van Helden.

To her, skating isn’t her biggest life goal, but it is something that she has fun with and has always been inspired by. Although she only recently started to become involved with the sport, she has always admired it from afar.

“I thought it was beautiful. It’s so artistic and I just wanted to see what it was about,” said Van Helden.

Skating has given her a chance to experience the freedom and beauty that comes with being on the ice, something she only ever had a chance to see on screen beforehand. It’s the idea that although you may not plan to do something for the rest of your life, the sense of relief and freedom it gives you for even just one specific moment in time is something that is important and should be taken advantage of.

As Van Helden continues to work on her skating, she trains to improve as much as possible with every chance she gets.

“I take group classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I have private lessons two times a week,” said Van Helden, “Right now, I’m preparing for the pre-preliminary test which I will take on the 18th. After that, we’re going to be working on the upcoming competition which is in January.”

The work she puts into her skating daily just goes on to show the improvement she is making as she puts her all out on the ice. Although she started out later than most, she has not let that put her down and has shown that it doesn’t matter how late you start or how little you know, as long as you’re willing to put in the effort and show that if you care, you can succeed.

“If you have the motivation and determination, you can advance,” said Van Helden. It’s never too late to follow your heart and try something new, you’ll never know what could’ve happened if you never try.