Recently, uncertain times have taken over the World as we know it. Ours lives have been turned upside down and so many of us are grasping at straws to find something to keep us afloat. Lives are lost, jobs are lost, freedom is lost and it’s (understandably) becoming increasingly difficult to stay positive and inspired during moments like this.

The sporting World has seen holds and cancellations of events like never before, including recently in our own figure skating bubble, with the World Figure Skating Championships being cancelled. During the lead up to the World Championships, there was a cloud of doubt surrounding the event. How could it possibly happen? There’s no way fans would pack into a stadium at times like this. Skaters were potentially limited in travel and wouldn’t be able to travel to Canada, or worse, would be stuck here afterwards not able to go home.

I remember so vividly the World Championships in 2011. A tsunami hit Japan and the competition was temporarily postponed. The question was, postponed to what? I remember training with uncertainty. We had to train like the event was happening, as planned, even though we knew that wasn’t happening. I imagine that’s what it felt like for the skaters at the beginning of March, before the World Championships got canceled. This was very clearly the right decision, and I have so much respect for the athletes that kept their heads high with this news and understood this was for the greater good of society.

The devastating news is clear to everyone, every time you open social media, or turn on your TV and see the news. Covid-19 has taken over our lives in every facet, but there is still potential to stay positive and find opportunities amidst troubled times.

I don’t want to make it seem like it’s the same thing, because I know very well that it’s not, but successful athletes find a way to excel during difficult times. They rise up and stay optimistic, and they find a way to fight through challenges. I advise everyone to try to think like an athlete right now. Let’s problem solve with statistics, find positivity – even if it is hiding in the darkest corner, and stay focused on the end game, on where we want to get to.

Eric and I were training to go on tour in Japan, Canada and the USA when everything came to a startling halt. I was excited to get back into a training routine and put on my creative cap while thinking of new things to try. I was bouncing between my little baby, coaching and training. It was a challenge that I loved and I wanted to master all of it. But like everyone else’s plans, it never came through. I have to admit, a part of me is secretly happy to be staying home right now with my little Zoey. She is able to play and sleep all day in the comfort of our home, instead of jet-setting off somewhere new every few days. I may have lost one thing, but gained another. This is my challenge to everyone. To find an opportunity in this dark time. It may be as simple as sleeping more, or making your own homemade bread with all the extra time you have on your hands!

We’ve all had to make adjustments to our daily lives, as mothers, fathers, doctors, politicians, children, teachers and athletes. I think we all owe gratitude to modern technology, for it has allowed so many of us to continue work and studies while we are isolated in our homes.

So mandatory “stay home” regulations caused a challenge for athletes and coaches. We now have to be creative about training methods. Luckily, some of my skaters’ great trainers, Josephine for essentrics and Patrick for strength and conditioning, have been available and teaching classes online. So, to complement those classes, Bruno and I have contacted some skating friends to chat with our skaters, inspire them, and do lessons online through ‘question and answers’ about specific skating technique.

This has been quite a challenge during my first year as a coach. There has been so much I am learning, but this has made me become adaptable as a coach, in the same way that when the 2011 World Championships got postponed, I needed to remain calm and be adaptable as a skater.

I want to take this opportunity to encourage all Skate Ontario skaters to continue working hard off the ice. While it is actually perfectly normal to have a 3-week active break in the off season, this current break will extend longer than that, and although I encourage off-ice training, I feel the need to strongly advocate for a break completely from “figure skating” training. This is important for resting your mind, taking care of any nagging injuries and allowing a complete reset before getting ready to go for another season. I believe a proper recovery, or “reset”, is as important as training hard, because without it your body and mind will never reach your full potential.

But, after saying that, since this extended break is ongoing longer than 3 weeks, it is still good to stay active and working towards all of your goals. Luckily, there is an abundance of training options available to you online. I actually did online training every day for the last 6 years of my career. I worked from a website called “Yogaglo” and there I could find 5 minute classes, or 90-minutes classes, ranging from core strength, to flexibility, to morning or evening yoga to pilates. It was an incredibly important part of my training routine and something every one of you can do from the comfort of your own home! I have also been working on providing skaters training videos through my YouTube channel, Lutzofgreens. I currently have 6 short videos that include some great at-home training exercises for figure skaters.

I hope everyone is looking for opportunities during this time, and staying positive. You will need that energy once society starts coming back to “normal” and you are back in the rink. Remember that even in the darkest night, the sun will rise.

I will try to cover a more uplifting topic next time, as we discuss life as a new working mom! Stay home and stay healthy everyone. 🙂