My Years at Louviers – Part 3 (continued)

Season 2006-2007

In addition to this year of Synchro rather intense, rich in emotions and discoveries, my year as an individual skater also began in strength.

My two summer-camp were beneficial for my progress and my goal was achieved: Friday, October 13, I managed for the first time the Axel!
After congratulations from Valerie, a demonstration to my mother and the arrangement of drinking a glass of champagne, I had fulfilled my contract. This success had just propelled me to another level: I was also an individual skater!
I had never thought of doing solo competitions, but this new perspective enchanted me.

The next month, I went out my first double jump.

My first individual competition held in the arena of Cherbourg, which I already knew. It was reassuring for me to start there, but also stressful: it was the first time I had a real competition without my synchro friends.
Valérie was present, as well as Marine, who will be one of my coaches in the future.
What I really wanted to succeed in this competition was my Axel, and this was the case, however, I did a musical rather fall on one of my spins! ^^
Nevertheless, I enjoyed this moment and I was already looking forward to returning to training to improve myself!

Anecdote : I had told Valerie that I wanted to sit a little bit before my passage, feeling that this was what I needed to feel my legs and as I had always done at the gym, but she wanted me stay active and therefore stand up. So coming out of ice, and talking about my fall, I told her that I knew it would happen because I couldn’t feel my legs at that point of the program. It made her laugh, and me too afterwards!
Now the question will remain: is this the real reason or am I not looking for an excuse? ^^

For the rest of my competitions, we had integrated my first double jump in the program with two axel, to make it a bit more complex. In addition, I had validated my first competition medal, the « préparatoire », that is to say that officially on a notebook I was able to realize an axel and a double jump, in addition to other elements during a program.

•

However, with my debut as an individual skater, the first critics also arrived very quickly.

« Why is she doing individual competitions? I dn’t understand, she is 12 years old, she is way too old for that. She’ll achieve nothing. »

It didn’t affect me any more than that. When we start to achieve something, no matter what it is, critics come very generally with it. Instead of listening to them, they were in some sense a motor. I heard the criticisms, but I had the mindset to act and lead the life I wanted, than to waste my time answering, listening and satisfying them.

Sometimes you have to prefer acts to speech, they speak for themselves. »

A criticism will never be nice, but it must be constructive: it’s up to you to choose how to react.

My revenge on that moment will take place in 2011, while waiting I took advantage of this new world which opened to me. I was the new girl of the circuit, the one who did not grow up in this world with the others, and that feeling will never disappear.

•

This new status has made my Christmas shows and end of season shows in Louviers a little more complex. In addition to the numbers reserved for Synchro teams, I was also doing numbers with competitors and/or solo, depending on the shows.

The most I’ve had to do in one show should be 7 or 8 different programs, of course with different costumes. Also, I happened to have engaged in numbers but not to be able to attend the trainings. But Valerie trusted me, I learned the program during the dress rehearsal: I never made a mistake!

• 

• 

• 

•

Having also spent half of the season with the Jeanne d’Arc of Rouen, Coralie and I participated in their end of season gala, with Disney theme.
I had never seen a gala with so much investment in terms of numbers, costumes and decorations.
The team was attributed to Cinderella’s tale and we had the music of the band Téléphone.

That same year is marked by the victory of Brian Joubert at the World Championships. Rouen’s club has therefore invited and we repeated a part of the show just for him.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

With Brian Joubert, 2007 World Champion.

•

This season also marked the last year of Jacques at the club and I found it a shame because it allowed me to progress faster. Until his official departure and because he also coached in another rink not far from mine, in Cléon, I took private lessons with him throughout the month of June. Thus, I was able to maintain my level and continue to benefit from his knowledge.
But I also had the chance to participate in the gala of Cleon where I presented my competition program but also my number with Alexandre.

To finish this season, I registered for two summer-camps. The first takes place in Caen, with Jean-François Ballester, Valérie’s brother. I had the chance to meet him the previous summer, but this time he was one of my coaches for a week. I loved having him as a coach, he was always encouraging and smiling. What I remember most about him during this week is this sentence:

But you’re a quiche!

Indeed, I was on the edge to release two new double jumps, but nothing to do, I always landed on the ground! And it will be the same during my next camp, waiting to be back home to be standing!

Moreover, this training took place in Cherbourg. During this second edition, there were many new registrants, including my two new friends from Rouen: Maude and Camille.
It is also where we had the chance to meet Adrien Tesson, a hope of French skating.
We were a great team all together: we spent our free time playing cards, even during surfacing and sometimes even with coaches, where then we read manga.
The summer-camps of Cherbourg remain in my best memories. ♥