“I’ve discovered that following my heart, I can accomplish extraordinary things.”
More often than not, we have all accepted the general rule that athletes perform at their peak only during the fleeting years of youth, after which their careers would inevitably go downhill.
When Jamie Abadillo, a former ballerina, decided to start ice skating lessons at a later stage in life, she too couldn’t escape the myth.
“After 2 months I felt discouraged because I didn’t know anyone else of my age learning the sport.”
The flame within her has never died out and it doesn’t take much to rekindle the fire. “About a year later, I bumped into Amelia Humfress’s Instagram account and fell in love with how beautiful she skates. I then discovered that she was months older than me. I decided to get back to ice skating lessons.”
Jamie’s encounter with ice skating is unique. As a visual development artist, Jamie’s profession requires her to vividly portray figures.
“I realized that I could easily draw ballerinas that felt as if they were dancing. I discovered ballet was all over me when I did art.” She took on ice skating, hoping that her experience would instill life in the skaters under her paintbrush, just like the ballet dancers.
Seems like Jamie carried her perfectionist mindset from the canvas onto the ice rings. Looking good when skating motivates her to keep up with her training.
“My greatest motivation is looking like a beautiful figure skater. I know that if I don’t train, my body won’t be strong and flexible enough.” Jamie discloses, “The sport takes a lot of focus and I also want to be careful not to look less than graceful.”
Guatemala, home to volcanoes and rainforests, might not be the best place to cultivate figure skaters. Taking on a sport so out of context comes with difficulties.
“The biggest challenge I’m facing is living in a country where there aren’t any ice rinks. I want to keep traveling a few times per year to take lessons on the ice.”
Disciplined as she is, Jamie’s training continues even beyond the borders of the ice ring.
“I currently train 3 times per week. I practice ballet and flexibility during almost every workout session. Besides that, I also do cardio and off-ice skating sessions.”
Seems like nothing would stop her to becoming a future “Skate Mom”, one of her ultimate goals, which makes her career all the more meaningful.
Being a successful ice skater means striking the balance between “delicate and dainty” and “strong and athletic.”
“I’ve learned to be brave and do things but also to not be careless. My efforts must be calculated. Someone told me that falling on the ice is a necessary experience for a figure skater. That’s definitely true but also I’ve learned that I must be as focused as possible to avoid purposeless falls on the ice or the concrete.”
I’m proud of how strong and athletic my body has been to keep up with off-ice training. I’m also proud of how careful I am with my body because gracefulness is most important to me when I skate. Last, I’d like to add that looking healthy and athletic shows how wonderful my body has been to me.
For ladies out there who might have had the urge to take on a sport, I hope a word from Jamie might help you clear up your doubts: “I’ve discovered that following my heart, I can accomplish extraordinary things.”
*Writer’s note: “Ladies, don’t ever let people tell you that you have passed your prime.” Jamie’s story reminds me of a quote, which is part of the acceptance speech of Michelle Young, the first Oscar-winning Asian woman as she clutched the golden man. For hidden talents out there, don’t let age or responsibilities hinder you from trying things out.
So cool, I like it!
love the power girls have no matter age!😘