Skating is an individual sport with all its pressure and prestige.
But for local athletes who train together at the Skating Club of Boston sharing the ice is the closest thing to a team.
“When someone’s having a rough day or getting frustrated, it’s usually just like a ‘calm down, you can do this. I’ve seen you do it a million times. Stop thinking and do what you need to do,’” local skater and Olympic hopeful Ross Miner said.
From dawn to dusk, they take the ice sometimes at the same time, spending so much time with each other they know everyone’s routine music, through and through.
“The energy here is always really high. I mean, all the sessions are really crowded, and we all work really, really hard so it’s really nice because if you’re not having such a good day, you’ll have people to pick you up, and they’ll also keep you grounded too, if you’re ‘oh, I’m so good,’” local skater and Olympic hopeful Christina Goa said.
Many of the skaters are also coaches at the skating club in their spare time.
At this point, the Skating Club of Boston has produced 172 national champions in its hundred-plus year history; including reigning pairs champions Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir.