CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. — Several athletes with the Panthers Figure Skating Club are competing in the Eastern Sectional Finals this week in Boston, and for some skaters it's the final stop before nationals.
One athlete competing is figure skater Skylar Zaglul.
"I'm really excited. I've worked really hard this whole year just for this moment, so I'm really looking forward to it," Zaglul said.
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"I would definitely describe it as being harder than it looks," Zaglul said. "People look at the jumps and the spins like, wow, it's so impressive. It is, but a really hard part about it is also just the skating skills."
The 15-year-old said she trains six days a week — a lot of practice to perfect her technique.
"I really love how skating brings out the toughness in me, and I just love how challenging it is," Zaglul said.
When asked what goes through her mind during a performance, she described her approach to staying present.
"I try to stay focused on one element at a time or else I can start thinking ahead too much, and it just goes," Zaglul said.
Zaglul is one of 30 high-performance skaters. The Panthers program has over 300 athletes in the figure skating club and 2,800 more kids in learn to skate.
"I love how I get to train alongside all my best friends," Zaglul said. "I think having good team bonding and my coaches, they're all what keeps me going," Zaglul said.
Asked about the end goal of her figure skating career, Zaglul pointed to the sport's highest stage.
"Well, I've always dreamed about being on Team USA. That's like something I've always wanted to do. Of course, being at the Olympics," Zaglul said.
Zaglul says her sights are set on the Olympics, but the first stop is getting to nationals. Her coaches and teammates tell me they'll be cheering her on the entire way.
