It feels as if only yesterday Peter and I met for the first time; shortly after, it became the beginning of our story. This season’s journey is past its halfway point, and it feels surreal to be where we are. Frankly, the training leading up to Finals was nerve-wracking; I don’t tend to show my stress, but I was nervous. Besides training, I have work, school and an apartment to look after; in all that, I got caught up and started slipping into a dark pit of anxiety. I questioned whether I was good enough to compete, did I look fit enough and I completely doubted my ability to win the gold at JGP Final. I now realize the work I had done on myself before leaving for Finals was the sole reason I could do what I did; I pulled myself together and got back up. At Finals, it was all a mental game, a strategy to distract yourself from intrusive thoughts and concentrate on the goal. My job was to be on top of everything: my appearance, presence, mindset, and, most importantly, performance, as it all impacted the end results. Being in Ice Dance means you have to be there for your partner no matter the circumstances; we create art together, which makes it impossible to do when one of us is down. At the end of this very vigorous competition, I had a lot of time to think. To reminisce and reflect, to see how my mental health affected me, how having family around affected
me and how winning would affect my attitude in training. As I am writing this blog, Nationals are creeping up on me. Who would’ve thought time would go by so fast.

All I have left is just a memory of all the work Peter and I put into our programs coming back from Finals. We took our feedback to prove we could and will be better. Even Though I have encountered a minor but quite debilitating injury, to be more specific, an irritation of the tibialis anterior and toe extensor tendons, known to many as a “Lace Bite.” It has caused me to practice less and skate with a half-untied skate, but that will not stop me from putting on two great performances at our last Junior Nationals in Oshawa. Henry Ford once said, “Obstacles are those frightful things you
see when you take your eyes off your goal.” In life, we come across many good and bad days; it is truly all up to us how we handle them.

My enthusiasm is my biggest triumph, and I am absolutely thrilled to be working more, to be working harder if that’s what it takes for me to be successful.

– Nadiia Bashynska