As Catherine Wu (’26) glides across the ice, she gains momentum for her favorite jump, the double axel. As she lifts off into the jump, she rotates three times in the air before landing with grace and perfection. When she comes off the ice, she finds a quiet place to finish her math homework.
Dealing with a heavy course load and a demanding sports life isn’t for the weak. For seniors, facing their final year of high school is hard enough: with most of their time dedicated to college applications and schoolwork, keeping up with a competitive sport is very taxing. Despite these difficulties, Wu does it all; she is not only a competitive figure skater but also a highly achieving student.
Wu spends most of her time at the ice rink. At 1:20 p.m., after a day of school, she heads to SkateQuest for training. Wu trains three to five hours per day, five to six days per week, depending on her workload.
Despite this, skating isn’t her only focus; in her academic life, she has a true passion for biomedical engineering.
“I plan on becoming a biomedical engineer, focusing on genetics because I am…fascinated by it…,” Wu said.
To avoid burnout and maintain her busy lifestyle, she says balance is key.
“I really try to prioritize what is most urgent. I try not to stress myself out too much, so I’ll take easier classes in the subjects I’m not so comfortable in,” Wu said.
To stay on top of training and school, she also takes many courses online or during the summer, such as Chinese, English, and P.E., to accommodate her devotion to figure skating and interest in biology.
Wu’s love for the sport all started when she stepped onto the ice for the first time at a birthday party.
“I watched this girl do a spin, and I was like ‘Oh my gosh, I want to do that’, so then I enrolled in Learn To Skate,” Wu said.
Now, she has been skating for around 10 years. While it was fascination that first drew Wu to figure skating, she has continued with it because of the freedom she feels on the ice.
“Skating brings out a part of me I don’t normally express,” Wu said. “I feel less timid and can project any emotions to the audience and judges.”
After months of practice, Wu’s hard work finally pays off during competitions. To skate in them, she travels all over the country, often missing a few days of school as the competitions start at the end of the week and span throughout the weekends. Her choreography consists of a series of jumps, spins and steps that come together to create an equally artistic and athletic performance.
“When I compete, I feel extremely nervous…,” Wu said. “However, I love the excitement I feel when I get to cheer on my friends and the relief I feel when I hit my ending pose.”
She also shows her love for the sport in other ways, including watching both her friends and professional skaters, as well as coaching younger kids at the rink.
