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'Grand' Opportunity
Firth To Compete In Junior Grand Prix Of Figure Skating This Week In Lake Placid
Taylor Firth is "realizing that she needs to take advantage of her talent and
she has bought into the fact that it is hard work," according to Lenel van Den Berg, co-director
of the Jamestown Skating Academy.
Photo by Hummel
Several times a week, Taylor Firth makes the trip from her Grand Island home to the Jamestown Savings
Bank Ice Arena.
Sometimes she's riding solo with music (Taylor Swift CD) filling the inside of her car or her favorite
TV show - The Office - playing on its DVD player (Don't worry, her eyes are on the road. She's not
watching the hit series, she's listening to the dialogue).
"It's also a nice time to chill out and think,'' Taylor said.
And when she does, the 18-year-old student of Jamestown Skating Academy co-directors Kirk Wyse and
Lenel van den Berg sets her thoughts on what the future holds, particularly in the sport she loves.
"I really feel I've stepped it up,'' Taylor said last week after a practice session at the ice arena. "Kirk
keeps talking to me that (skating) is my job now.''
In other words, she has a great opportunity in front of her, and it's up to her to take advantage
of it, beginning with the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating, which runs Wednesday through Saturday
in Lake Placid.
Firth earned the berth on the USA team according to her placement at last year's U.S. Nationals in
Cleveland. The International Skating Union Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating takes place in seven
cities around the globe and features the world's top junior-level female skaters. One event already
concluded last week in Budapest, Hungary.
Taylor has her eyes on doing well enough, continuing to advance up the Junior Grand Prix rankings
and, hopefully earning a trip to the nationals, a place where she's been before.
"I think they're trying to make me mature a little bit,'' Taylor said of her coaches. "I'm glad, because
I do need to mature a little bit. It's more of a good reminder for me, because I can get a good job
out of it.''
"Taylor has always been a wonderful talent,'' said van den Berg, who will be accompanying Firth to
Lake Placid. "As she is maturing, she is realizing that she needs to take advantage of her talent.
And, she has bought into the fact that it is hard work."
"She is driven now,'' Wyse said. "Now when you say to her, 'Let's do one more,' there's a gleam in
her eye. She is enjoying the process now and, as a coach, that is so rewarding.''
Keep in mind, it's not like Taylor has not been focused on her craft - she's traveled the world, found
success nationally and internationally and even landed a role in a made-for-TV movie, which will air
early next year - but she senses there's still more out there for her.
"It's definitely re-lit something in me,'' she said.
And, in turn, left her with a fair amount of confidence heading into this week's competition at Herb
Brooks Arena.
"I've gone there ever since I was a young skater,'' Taylor said. "It's one of the places I've always
gone to, the Winter Olympics were there twice and it's always a high-caliber place. It's so neat.
"If I place in the top three, hopefully I'll have a very good chance to get a second Junior Grand
Prix that I would go overseas for. If I get to the second competition and place high enough, I could
go to the Junior Grand Prix Final.
And the Junior Grand Prix Final, which will be held in Japan in December, is the final stepping stone.
One competition builds on another.
"I'm hoping to just keep training well and to keep a positive outlook on everything,'' Taylor said. "I'd
like to go to nationals again. That's kind of my ultimate goal.''
Taylor also has something else to look forward to early next year.
That's when "Ice Castles" will premiere, a movie in which she co-stars.
"Things are going well,'' she said.
Who said jobs can't be enjoyable?
Copyright - 2009, The Post-Journal
PO Box 3386 - 15 West Second Street - Jamestown New York 14702-3386 - (716) 487-1111 - Fax: (716)
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