My New Skating Mentor
Mentors can play such an important part of our lives, whether it’s for personal or professional reasons. They are there to help us through difficult decisions and help us better ourselves as humans and employees.
In case you are wondering, I do have a professional mentor. I’ve had one since I began my first job out of college, and it’s been an experience invaluable to me. My mentors have been my sounding boards and helped me evaluate and see multiple options that I would not have realized on my own. I am a better person because of them.
This year, I realized that I lacked a mentor for my skating. Yes, I have a few coaches that I work with, and yes, I have several skating friends. But I didn’t have someone ‘on my side’ who has been through my journey to offer advice and become my confidante. It was something I wanted since I felt like it would help boost my skating career, so to speak.
I thought about who I’d like to have as a skating mentor and reached out to her recently. She graciously accepted and said that she was all ears and would be there to help me every step of the way. So whom did I choose? Well, without revealing her identity for privacy reasons, I will share this:
- She holds a full-time job and skates as a hobby/passion, much like myself
- She is a competitive figure skater and has seen tremendous success in local and national competitions
- She has struggled, physically and emotionally in this sport
- She formerly skated as an Adult Gold lady and is no longer in my level
In summary, this lady embarked on my journey many years before me but is now older and wiser because of her successes (and struggles). I distinctly wanted to work with someone who knew what I was going through so could offer their guidance and expertise based on their experience.
I’m grateful for my new mentor’s friendship and am excited to add another member to my skating ‘team,’ as I know that one person’s success (or lack thereof) is a team effort. I’m just hoping that her guidance, along with those in my inner skating circle, can help me reach my skating goals.
