The Fond du Lac Blades synchronized skating junior team practices on February 12, 2024. PC: Fox 11 Online
FOND DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Not everyone gets the opportunity to represent the United States of America on an international stage, but the Fond du Lac Blades junior team had the chance to do so last month in Scotland.
“The competition itself was really amazing. There were other countries like Canada, Finland, Great Britain,” Brookfield East senior Lola Perelman said. “It was just such a cool experience being able to share the sport with other countries.”
Competing internationally for Team USA is nothing new for the synchronized skating team.
“We’ve been pretty consistent now over the last 7-8 years,” head coach Jenny McMahon said. “It’s been a really exciting journey.”
A journey that year after year allows girls from Wisconsin the chance to experience other cultures.
“It’s honestly really cool. We get to travel to a lot of places around the globe,” De Pere senior Mikayla Garot said. “It’s the most amazing feeling to hear, ‘Representing the United States of America’.”
“It’s just different from here,” McMahon said. “I think they [Blades members] also have a sense of pride when they step off the plane and realize, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m really here to do a job for our country and compete’.”
Synchronized skating is no cake walk. Being a member of the Blades requires hours of training put in both as a team and individually.
“It takes a lot of off ice training,” Garot said. “Strengthening, working together as a team to perfect all of our movements.”
“It’s 16 brains on the ice, all depending on each other,” Perelman added. “Physically, it’s a lot too. You need to keep up your working out outside of the sport and also in it.”
Next up for the Blades is a trip to Las Vegas for Nationals, with competition beginning next week.
Four teams for the Blades, including the junior squad, will be competing against teams from all across the United States.
“It’s really cool because you see these other teams from New York, Boston, Chicago and then they hear about Fond du Lac and they’re like, ‘Oh, where’s Fond du Lac?’” Perelman said.
The junior team will open up Nationals, performing their short program on Feb. 21.
“Our team goal heading into Vegas is just to have two clean skates that we’re all proud of us as a team and individually,” Garot said. “We just want to see all our hard work from throughout the season pay off.”
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