Title: Dreams of Ice
Author: Marianya
Part: Chapter Five
Rate: PG
Date develop:18 February 2002 Date revised:23 March 2002
Authors Note:
Just to let you know I will be holding a contest at the end of this story. I will not mention what it is or what I am asking for until the very end. However in order for you to qualify for this contest and the prizes involved you MUST have a review already posted.
Chapter Five - Skating on Thin Ice
Their individual practice schedule had expanded and became more hectic now that the decision has been made. Their eventual goals of going into the universities has long since disappeared and both agreed to go back to it when the time is right. They spent more and more time on the ice than off it, giving up their free weekends in the process. The only fluctuations of their schedule occurred during interviews, press conferences, and competitions. Once in a long while the two skaters would take a day or two off just to relax and have fun.
They were driving their coached mad by going through every single routine and perfecting them ironing out any wrinkles in their programs to skate as cleanly as possible.
From the autumn of 2000 until the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, Timothy and Michelle committed themselves to a grueling schedule of practices, workouts, dance, choreography and scheduling. Deciding, debating and agreeing on what competitions would help them get started for pairs and singles as well as what would work out for both of their schedules. Most of whatever free time the duo had left, they spent with one another debating on if one interview is better than another and so forth.
Since they had made the decision to participate in pairs competition while keeping their status for individual competitions as well. Timothy once made a joke that they should also try out ice dancing but was rewarded with a slap on the back of his head.
Their decision erupted a tower of controversy not only within the skating community but in the heart of skating fans as well. The International Skating Union went through a trial of the couple's decision and after a few days of talk, had granted them permission to participate in the individual events as well as the pairs events.
Their closest friends were originally wary of the decision, but after seeing their first program together (without serious coaching) they were soon won over. Their first competition was the Skate Canada where they would meet the Canadian and Russian top pairs skaters, as well as them competing the individual events.
Scott Hamilton (who once taught both skaters the triple salchow once upon a time) was very intrigued by the turn of events and gave very informative commentaries in the duo's individual events before their first appearance in international competition in a pairs event:
"Timothy Goebel has three quadruple jumps planned in his program and his artistry has since been polished from his days in Cleveland. Part of this massive transition came from his decision to train under Frank Carroll, who also trains Michelle Kwan. The second main reason to his improved artistry is from his partnership with Michelle Ho in pairs skating.
"Timothy's skating is strong athletically but has somehow lacked that presentation quality to bring the audience into the skate. While Michelle's weakness lies in her jumps, her spins especially the layback spin are very graceful and majestic. Michelle's strength lies in her uncanny ability bring the audience to their feet comes from her wonderful expression on the ice. She moves the audiences at the arena and at home with the more dramatic and heartfelt performances in her young life. However her technical skills are not as athletic as many of the female skaters, like Michelle Kwan or Irina Slutskaya. Timothy has helped her with that in her skating."
'How are they in practices? I mean as a pairs team?'
"What's amazing is that they are doing extrememly well as a pair in their practices, they get along great and joke with some of the other couples. Their tosses and lifts are some of the best that I have seen. I think they would be giving the Russians and Canadians a run for their medals in this competition."
After the competition...
"Thank you Katie, here I have the third place winner of the men's event, Timothy Goebal; and the third place winner of the ladies' event, Michelle Ho. They are also the second place winners of the pairs' event. Good evening and congratulations to the both of you.
"The more controversal story making headlines is your decision to skate together in pairs competition, as well as continuing your careers in the individual skates. How do you feel about the public's outcry of your decision?"
"A lot of our decision extends from our ability to help one another in practices. After a few practices together we started trying out some lifts and tosses and came to the realization that we were able to execute them without too much trouble. So after a few more practices we decided to work on a program together, our coaches saw the potential in our partnershp and agreed to allow us to continue skating in individual events as long as we prove that we could take the grueling practice schedules."
"People has commented that the both of you are trying to monopolize the skating community."
"We are just two skaters that knew that we could go far in individual competition. However we also saw the potential in competing as a pair, I didn't feel right giving up all the time and effort that we have spent going through individual events. Even though I personally wanted to try out the pairs as well. So after a long talk with Timothy and our coaches we decided to give it a try and see what happens."
"Thank you both"
"Thank you."
October 2001 a few weeks before Skate America...
This was one of their few days off, Timothy and Michelle had planned on meeting at the rink at about noonish to work on the fresh program for the Skate America competition. From their first decision to compete in pairs skating until now they have proven to the world that they were quite able to hold their own in competition for all events they have entered in.
Michelle Kwan had called her earlier in week to 'catch up' on the latest news and gossip in their lives. Michelle wasn't going to argue with that. So they both decided to meet at the local Starbucks coffee shop so that they could talk...
"Michelle how are things on the family front?" Michelle Kwan teased, she knew that her parents were not happy (to put it mildly) for the amount of press coverage that she was receiving.
Michelle shrugged, "It's okay I suppose. I haven't talked to my parents about it since it first came out. I don't want to have to argue with them..." Michelle somehow got the feeling that her friend didn't want to discuss their family's thoughts on the latest. "Michelle something else is bothering you, what is it really?"
Michelle Kwan loooked up to her friend, deep down she knew that she couldn't hide anything from her. "After training with Frank for so many years, I have no idea what to do. There is something amiss in my life, and I can't really pinpoint it."
"Michelle, you have been with Frank for almost a decade. You have your own ideas of how to do things, while Frank wants to stay with what you have now." Michelle sighed, she knew that something wrong was going on, she just didn't realize how bad the situation was, "Maybe you have surpassed all that Frank could give you."
"What...?"
"Look at our lives Michelle, teachers come and go in our lives, friends come and go, and sometimes come back again. Being with Frank for the majority of your life is hard and yet very stable. But at the same time, Frank could only take you so far in life. Sometimes to the point when you don't really need him anymore." Michelle was telling her friend something that she had kept within her all of these months. Michelle Kwan has learned all she could from Frank but they can't stay together forever.
"Michelle think about it, sometimes being with a coach for an elongated amount of time, they would no longer be able to push you forward, but instead pull you back. Do you think that is what is happening between the two of you? Maybe to Frank you are still young and full of life, while you, you are trying to become your own person, still trying to find yourself."
Michelle sighed, she knew from her own experience that a coach could only take a skater so far, it is up to the skater to figure out where the end is located. Gingerly she added, "Sometimes, a little change is necessary especially if it includes your own coaching staff." Coming from oriental heritage we do not respond well to change, especially me. But I also know my own limit I know where the end of my partnership with my coach will stand, but then I haven't the steadiness of being with one coach.
Michelle Kwan looked to her friend, "Do you really think that it would be wise? To leave Frank when we have done so much together? A part of me says stick to what is successful, and another part of me is saying to move on and see where the wind takes me. I am so very confused."
Michelle moved to sit next to her friend, she wrapped a comforting arm around her friend's shoulders. "Michelle, to be honest I don't know, only you can make that decision not me. If I was in your situation I probably wouldn't leave Frank, simply because I'm scared to, I like to stick with what works. However I would also know deep in my heart that if I stay with what has been right, rather than what can be done, then I could never move on. That would be a regret on my part.
"Look at how I'm doing, I have learned so much and gone so much farther with my current coach than with anybody else. However part of that success was because I was also learning and practicing with Timothy. If I leave my coach, I would still work with Timothy, but I still be cutting myself short. I won't really know when is the best time to leave my coach, it's just a feeling, a possibility."
Michelle took a sip of her coffee, her mind was getting a little clearer now, albeit still unable to make a steady decision. At least her friend is helping her see the positives and negatives of the situation. "Sometimes it takes a radical change to move on? It would take a while for me to feel completely comfortable with the decision, but at least I would be doing what I feel is right."
Michelle nodded, "The biggest decision I made was to go into pairs skating, it was the toughest decision in my life, and I haven't regretted it for a moment. I followed with what was right, I did what I felt I needed to do in order to succeed. I might not be as strong a skater as you or Timothy, but I could hold my own, and that is all that matters. We all started skating because we dreamed of doing well, because it was something that we wanted to do, we lived to do. Now it is time to move that dream forward and learn to fly."
A few days before Skate America...
Timothy and Alexei were lifting weights at a nearby training facility, Timothy was getting ready to meet Michelle for pairs practice in an hour at one rink while Michelle and Alexei were at another rink working on their individual routines.
"I still think you should become a US citizen. You train here and love it here. I haven't seen you go back to Russia in months." Timothy and Alexei have been getting along since first meeting one another months back.
"I not know, I feel - what is you say?" Alexei looked ot Timothy for a hand...
"Obligated?" he offered.
Alexei smiled, "Yes, yes obligated. It is my home country. I come from there, I feel I must give something back."
Timothy nodded in understanding, "You feel a kind of home pride, towards a country that had shaped you the way you have."
Alexei looked down, perhaps, but it was also Tatiana that helped me to grow up. "Maybe, but Tatiana brought me to be better too..."
Timothy shrugged, "I don't know, I have always considered myself an American, and so has Michelle."
Alexei internally winced at the word, he and Michelle Kwan have been discussing about Michelle. It took him a while to understand that it was best to leave her be and support her with her relationship. Unfortunately he nor Michelle knew of how Timothy felt about her.
"Michelle from Vietnam, no?"
Timothy thought about it, "Yeah she is, the first generation of her family to be born here. There are times when she feels more Vietnamese than American, and she talks about having a mixed wedding." Timothy sobered a bit, he would not have minded a mixed wedding, at least not she was involved.
"What do Vietnamese have in their wedding?"
Timothy looked thoughtful, there have been many occasions when the subject came up between himself and Michelle and the kind of weddings they would have liked, not to mention the publicity that would be involved. Michelle was adament in having a small private ceremony with family and friends and was willing to allow one public photographer aside from her professional one, to take photographs. However for the Vietnamese ceremony that would occur before the chapel ceremony no photos except within the family.
As for the reception, Michelle was more than willing to make it big. The Vietnamese were known to invite not just the bride and groom's family and friends, but the friends of the parents as well. Timothy was sure that would be invited to the wedding and had planned to have at least one dance with the bride. Of course he would rather be the groom himself, but that was a long shot in coming considering the devotion that Michelle gave to her current boyfriend.
All this he summarized to Alexei, including the many different and elegant dresses that the bride would wear throughout the reception. Alexei was genuinely intrigued. "It is nice to see Michelle in a - how do you call it?"
"Ao dai, it is a Vietnamese gown. Traditionally a two piece in silk. The undergarment is just pants with wide pantholes, while the outer covering is full sleeved and full necked. There is a floor length flap in front and in back of the female. Men could wear these too. She would also wear a kind of hat in gold material, but it would be hard to describe it now." Timothy remembered the traditional Vietnamese wedding gown that Michelle had already planned out, in red with gold embroidery. She would look stunning in it. He thought sadly.
Alexei glanced over to Timothy and smiled thoughtfully, "Maybe we should go, skating is soon."
Timothy shook himself out of his reverie, "Yeah I almost forgot."
"Now it isn't unheard of for a skater to go from pairs to individual, or individual to pairs. What makes Timothy Goebel and Michelle Ho's situation more unique is that they both have decided to compete in pairs as well as individual events."
'There has been an outcry for Timothy and Michelle to pull themselves from competing in the pairs competition, why is that?'
"Well a lot of that negative response comes from the skating community that are not used to radical decisions like that, for example Michelle Kwan's split from Frank Carroll. Figure skating is more conservative than liberal in the sense of decision making and judging.
'What are your opinions on the pair?'
"I have seen the pair skate in practice and they are beautiful together, their skating styles both contrast as well as complement one another. From what I have seen in practices, they tend to help one another not only on the ice, but off it as well. Their strength is their unwavering trust for one another, he knows that she is working hard to come close to his jumps while she knows that she could trust him to be there in the lifts, tosses and jumps and not waver."
'Their chemistry is not only reflected on the ice... is it?'
"No, a lot of that chemistry is from off the ice as well. During the men's and ladies' competitions when one is on the ice competing, the other would somehow find the time to be at hand when the skate is finished. Whether it is for moral support or for traditional advice (as evidence in the past competitions). As a pair, these two work harder than most because of the lack of time due to their solo skating careers, they are always giving their 150% in practices.
"They are risk takers, him more than her, for they were learning some of the more difficult lifts, tosses and jumps. And their chemistry on and off the ice is phenominal, something that has to come naturally between the two partners. If they keep improving expect to see them in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City giving the Russian and Canadian pairs a run for their medal. As well as possibly be there for more than one competition."
'Thank you Scott for giving us a lowdown on what we should expect from the pair at the coming US Nationals.'
