Wordless Wednesday::My Speedskating Rides-Marchese

Coach Paul Marchese's Short Track Skate made just for me!

I Found My Mojo Again

Over the weekend I was flipping through the channels and I came across a movie that I haven't seen in quite a while. It was "G.I. Jane" with Demi Moore being her bad-ass self. She is sent to go through Navy SEALS training that only sees a handful make it through successfully. If you can't cut it, then the brass bell is there for you to ring three times to say "I Quit."




I am not a huge Demi Moore fan, however, I think she totally rocked in this movie. I like that by the end she seems to develop this swagger that says "Don't mess with me", although I could probably use a little more colorful language to describe that, but I think you get the idea.

Every spring I tend to feel like her character O'Neill when I know dryland is just around the corner. Dryland to this speedskater feels like trying out for the SEAL team. It's hard and brutal on the body and the "Master Chief" (Paul Marchese) can be just as unrelenting.

I have been building on this summer training for the past 7 years. When it begins, my legs and body revolt in such a violent way that it makes it painful to even sit in my car. I have to be able to build momentum in order to walk down a flight of stairs. It used to take me a long time to recover from that first week, but now the body seems to scream "Hey, what are you doing? Oh, yeah. It's that time again. Okay, okay..." and gives in just a couple of days.

I made it through last summer with no injuries...and I began this past season feeling great and had much hope that it would be a successful one. However, as many of you who read this blog know, life has thrown a monkey wrench into my skating season this year and I have not competed at all, let alone at Nationals-which was the goal.

Well, I am beginning to find my Mojo-jojo again and seeing this movie has just fueled the fire to work hard once more.

Bring it Master Chief, cuz I'm not ringin' no bell!

Trevor Marsicano, "My Hero"

Trevor & I ham it up for the camera- October 2009

World Cup/Olympic Trials, Milwaukee

Hero is a term that carries a lot of weight. The first time that I said this to Trevor was during a meet in Rochester, NY after doing something for me that was so heroic, I found "thank you" could not quite capture how grateful I felt, so "Trevor, you are my hero!" came out.

What was this deed of great proportion? He cracked my back.

After years of bike riding (being hunched over) and speedskating (being hunched over) and long car rides to meets or vacation spots (semi-hunched over) my husband and I have suffered through back issues and have mastered crackin' to a science. It looks like we are about to give eachother a big hug only our arms are to the side as if someone said "stick 'em up".  A nice squeeze and we can sound like a zipper! When my back is in such a knot, it makes my whole shoulder/neck area tighten up so bad that I am in pain. To have this "hug" does not hurt (although it may sound like it does), but brings instant relief with an "ahhhhhhhhh" and a smile.   

My husband was not at this particular short track meet and I was in so much pain from a long car ride that I could not relax before my first race.  I could feel the tightness taking hold. Trevor and his dad were walking out of the rink area as I was walking in. I stopped him and asked "Can you please do me a huge favor?" He replied "Sure!" I explained "This will look like a hug, but can you help me crack my back?!" Both Trevor and his father raised their eyebrows, but after sharing the process with him, Trevor grabbed his hand around my back, squeezed between the shoulder blades and "Poppopopopoppop" went my spine.  Ahhhhhh. Smile. My hero.

Trevor and I both found the sport of speedskating around the same time, yet skated for different clubs. We would not meet until my 2nd season, when my coach Paul Marchese suggested I start skating & training with the Saratoga Winter Club.  Here, I got to know this shy kid who would smile and laugh at jokes on the ice, but you could tell he was still finding his way and how he would fit into this group of skaters. He did not have to search for long. The most amazing qualities of speedskaters are acceptance and camaraderie shared with one another and Trevor was quickly embraced by this supportive group.

What became very apparent to us floating around the middle of the ice between sets is that we were witnessing the growth of an Olympian. Trevor had the drive and focus to keep getting better. At our club, we have different level groups that will go out on the track in sets based on time. The main group is the "blue" group and depending on how many skaters are at practice can be sub-divided into A, B or C or 1, 2 or 3- A being the fastest group, B the next fastest and so on. In a short amount of time, Trevor was starting to break free of the 'A' group and created the 'Trevor' group. 

Then the skater nightmare happened. Trevor had a horrible crash at a Jr. National Short Track meet in Michigan which left a wound from another's blade so deep into his right thigh that he could see his femur and caused him to lose half the blood in his body. He spent the holidays in a hospital. A few weeks into January, Trevor made his way on crutches into the rink and stood in the coaches' box to watch his team practice. I remember asking his sister Sam, who was skating with us at the time, if being here bothered him. Her reply surprised me a little, but also showed me his determination. "Nope. He couldn't wait to get here!"

His recovery was a long one, but Trevor once more proved his mettle as he continued on the road to big things. Summer training (called dryland) was brutal; conditioning and heat wise. That was also the summer that Trevor started using a weight vest for some of the exercises. I can remember being in so much pain during a set that I would want to stop. Then I would look over at Trevor still working hard -with weight on his back- and I would think to myself: If he can do it, you can do it. Quit whining and finish this set. Even during these training sessions, he was setting himself apart from the rest of the group. Paul would always save the "dessert" for us...a long low walk would be served up after a two hour practice. Put yourself in a squat position. Good. Now, get lower. Start walking in this balled up position (if done correctly, your knees should scrape the ground with each step) for one minute. Not as easy as it sounds. By the end of summer we worked our way up to a 15 minute low walk. Trevor had more.  He would have one or two others that would be able to hang with him, but the rest of us would finish our set and cheer him on to the finish.

Shortly after this, Trevor went to the 2006 US Short Track Olympic Trials. It was so exciting for us to watch him on Live Feed as he toed the line with Apolo Ohno, Shani Davis and many others. He did not make the team that year, but he did start a buzz.

 

       (L-R) Trevor Marsicano, Misi Toth, Ryan Bedford, Shani Davis

       Photo by: Jerry Search- 2006 US Short Track Olympic Trials

Then the most exciting short track race I have ever seen, took place in our very own home rink. Saratoga was hosting the American Cup Series and Trevor was back in great form. I had skated the Eastern States Championship being held in conjunction with the AmCup. My family was there to watch and cheer me on. I finished my day and had time to watch the rest of the day's racing. Trevor's sister Sam was also our babysitter for a couple of summers and my kids were anxious to go see her and visit a little bit in the stands, so we made our way over to where Sam and the rest of the Marsicano's were sitting. We were chatting away and realized that Trevor's 3000m race was coming up. The 3000m is 27 laps. It takes a while to get through the distance and is usually a yawner until about 7-5 laps to go. Not this time. After the start, you could see Trevor building (going faster) and we were saying to ourselves, 'What is he doing?', 'It's too fast'. He knew exactly what he was doing. He pulled a "flyer". He broke out and lapped the field by the third go around. That threw the crowd into a roar. What happened next threw us into a complete frenzy: he did it again! It was so loud in the rink, you couldn't hear yourself think! We were screaming so much that I lost my voice and I think everyone else did too. When Trevor crossed the finish line the place was cheering like I have never heard before or since. Amazing! People started saying "Who is this kid?" You see, we knew he was under most of the radar and that great things were coming, the rest of the world just needed to catch up.

Trevor began the switch to long track and eventually he settled in Milwaukee to train. We all knew this progression would happen and were so happy when last year, Trevor was the first person to beat the 1:07 World Record in the 1000m distance. The other amazing feat? Trevor returned from the World Single Distance Championships as the first American skater with four medals; Gold-1000m, Silver-1500m, Bronze-5000m, Bronze- Team Pursuit! 


                                  Video of Trevor breaking the World Record!
   
We trained together for a few short months this past summer as he prepared to make his Olympic dream a reality. It was fun having him back in the group again, still laughing and cracking jokes, only now, not so shy.

In October, I traveled to Milwaukee to help support Trevor and other skaters that were beginning their journey to Vancouver. This meet was the World Cup Team qualifier (and the first of two Olympic Trials). It was the first time I had seen him since the summer. It was also the first time I have ever gone to watch a long track event. I've skated in them, but I have never sat in the "fan" seat. I was keeping stats and a close watch to the inner and outer clock (which gives the time splits for the pair skating)  to see how things would unfold and who would fill the open spots.

  

Over those three days I rode that emotional roller coaster ride that seems to go with speedskating. Trevor was struggling. When leaving the rink the night before the rest day, I watched Trevor sitting on the bench after his race concluded. It was not what he was expecting. You could see it in his face and also in his body language. As a skater, I knew exactly what he was feeling and I also knew there were no words that you could say to make it better. The best I could do was to send him a text that said "you are still my hero!"

Sometimes a Rest Day Equals a Good Day and gets you back on track. Trevor came back and skated a gutsy race that secured his spot on the World Cup team. He said "It wasn't pretty, but it worked!"

I find myself sometimes sitting in the audience of parents and friends who have gathered to watch a school band concert or sporting event trying to hold back tears. When I see my children doing what they love to do I feel a sense of pride so intense that I can become pretty emotional. When in Milwaukee, I felt that same sense of pride for my friend Trevor as he made the World Cup team and then again when I heard the offical announcement he made the US Olympic Team.  

                        The Richmond Oval                   

                        Photo Courtesy of Ryan Shimabukuro

Through all these years, I have watched the growth of an amazing athlete both inside and out. Through all the challenges he has faced, he has made his dream a reality. My son often says "It is so cool that I know an Olympian!" When Trevor steps to the line on Saturday for his first race, I know it will be a moment of pure happiness and pride for me as well as his family and friends who have all supported his journey.

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles."

-Christopher Reeve

The world will soon ask "Who is this kid?"

My answer will be:  he's my hero.