BOSTON (WHDH) — Christina Gao has been skating since she was seven-years-old and now, at the age of 19, countless hours of training later could help get make the US Olympic team.
“It gets intense. Some days it gets pretty intense. Some days, you think about it. It definitely goes through your mind. It would be a lie to be like, ‘I never think about it.’ Of course it's there, it's why you're training every day,” Gao said.
Despite the high energy and high pressure Christina says clearing her mind is key before a big competition.
“Usually when you skate your best, nothing is going through your mind; very few things are going through your mind,” she said.
One of her programs is set to the theme from the film "Angels and Demons", with Christina taking on both parts.
“I love being the angel and then the demon, evil and good,” she said.
Christina is currently on leave from Harvard in hopes of making it to the Olympics, but the 19-year-old says she can't wait to go back to continue her freshman year.
Still, she now considers this her home the ice, her turf.
“I think it's really special, and I think Boston is the best place to have it. I love this city so much I've only been here a year, but there's so much pride in the city and it's a big city so I know there will be a lot of people here watching 5801 the energy is going to be great, and it's just exciting more than anything. So we'll see what happens,” she said.