It has been over a full week since I ended my 2018-2019 Figure Skating year. This was also my 20th season on the ice.

As you all remember last season was a disappointment after coming off from a season high the year before.

Well, this season didn’t start off so good. And to be honest I did not have very high expectations. I was at all all-time low.

I missed most of the summer of training due to some ongoing complications from the car accident.

Coming in September I was not able to do simple skating moves (3-turns, mohawks, etc) that I was once able to do.

Competition season was fast approaching. But I wasn’t able to jump due to the complications but I still wanted to compete. So I decided to do Solo Ice Dance. For this I needed to do Willow and TenFox. Two dances I passed many years ago.

The preparation was not very friendly to me or my body. Even the weekend of the competition, I had not yet done a full entire run-through of these dances.

The day before the competition I had some wild symptoms, that I knew I should have taken it upon myself to withdraw. But I didn’t.

The Saturday came. I was on the ice in warm-up before competing.

I was maybe 3 steps into the dance and the next thing I remember is being on my back and not knowing what was happening to me. I was looking around and everything was shaky. I was helped off the ice by a bunch of kids.

I sat on the boards waiting for the warmup to be over before I decided it was time to withdraw.

The week after leading up to the next competition, I was in the worst shape of my life mentally and physically.

The Thursday night, the day before I was supposed to compete in the second competition of the season I made a decision to withdraw. Mentally and Physically I was nowhere near ready.

My aim was to return in November for the comps. Giving me just over a month to prepare.

The month was going to hell. But it was still better then what I was producing at the start of the season.

I finished my first “Full” competition in first place, with the lowest points I have ever gotten.

This took a shot at me mentally. But it gave me some slight hope because it was something I can work for.

A week after I went to another competition. It was my last competition before taking a break for Christmas and coming back in January.

I got some of the highest points in two seasons finishing fourth.

I continued my training with a lot of medical hell going up and down.

January came and it was time for regionals.

At regionals, physically I was okay. Mentally I was still worn out.

I remember sitting in the changing room before the competition trying to figure out what the HELL I was doing there.

Regionals I finished first with what I felt was one of my stronger performances of the season.

Then it was time for Ottawa. I was competing at SuperSeries in Nepean Ottawa.

I had a rough week to start off with. When I got there I knew I was not officially ready. But I gave it my best shot.

In warm-ups, my legs cramped so much and all my spins were thrown off.

I had a few skaters in front of me so I was able to try and shake it off.

The skate itself wasn’t terrible. By the end I saw my body being affected but I have had worse.

In the entire competition I came last but this was a big wakeup call for me.

I got back to the room. I messaged my coach my thoughts and opinions and told him what I wanted to do. When I got his approval, I called up a new coach who agreed to take me on.

Following my return from Ottawa, I started with the new coach. And it felt so comfortable, like I’d been working with him this entire time.

Things started to progress and my last three competitions of the season showed improvement.

I came 2nd in two of them and 3rd in the other.

But the position wasn’t why I was thrilled. For the first time in a long time I felt very solid and my scores stayed similar.

While for another year I skipped provincials, I knew it was the right decision. It is something I am aiming for, for the next season. But not something I wanted or needed at that moment.

Now my main focus is dance and stroking and building up muscles and flexibility.

There are some health complications still in the way. And will be taking into affect in how and when I train.

My new program will be started in a weeks time.

And basically I will build up this summer as if I am going for a new season.