As the temperature rises and the masses swarm the local beaches this summer, Amanda Werner will be on the ice.
It's nothing out of the ordinary for this college junior. After all, when you're a part of the nation's best synchronized skating team, the ice rink is more than just a place to escape the June heat. For five days a week, the rink is Werner's workplace and her main summer hangout. The beach will have to wait.
This past spring, Werner and the rest of her University of Miami of Ohio teammates traveled to London, Ontario to compete as one of the two teams representing the United States in the synchronized skating World Championships.
Amidst a throng of renowned synchronized skating countries such as Finland, Sweden and Russia, the women from Miami shocked the field and came away with a silver medal. It was the first time any U.S. team had medaled in the history of a competition that started in 2000. Sweden was the only team to place higher.
"It was amazing," said Werner of the U.S. flag being raised during the medal ceremony. "We almost couldn't believe it happened because it's something we've all been working for since we started skating. To know that you were the first ones to do it was awesome."
Werner, a Newburyport High alumnus, started her synchronized skating career as a member of the hometown club team, the Iceliners. After that program fell through, she participated with the Colonials out of Acton-Boxboro and now competes for her college team, the Redhawks of Miami.
Her current team is a national powerhouse. In the seven years of world championship competition, Miami has participated five times.
Life as one of the 20 members on a dominating synchronized skating team has its perks. This past year she traveled to Milan where she helped her team to a second-place finish in the Spring Cup. She has skated everywhere, from Finland, to Prague and Torino, Italy. Next year Miami will compete in France and the World Championships will be held in Budapest, Hungary.
But for Werner, the road to success has been more about hard work than glamorous international travel. Her team at Miami competes year-round and when they're not on the road they train like Olympic athletes.
The team's regimen sounds like it could be suited for a hockey program. Weight lifting, skating sprints and occasional collision are typical for a day of practice. All this, along with ballet and ice dancing lessons allows the team to look forward to the lengthy flights overseas, if only for the rest.
It's nothing out of the ordinary for this college junior. After all, when you're a part of the nation's best synchronized skating team, the ice rink is more than just a place to escape the June heat. For five days a week, the rink is Werner's workplace and her main summer hangout. The beach will have to wait.
This past spring, Werner and the rest of her University of Miami of Ohio teammates traveled to London, Ontario to compete as one of the two teams representing the United States in the synchronized skating World Championships.
Amidst a throng of renowned synchronized skating countries such as Finland, Sweden and Russia, the women from Miami shocked the field and came away with a silver medal. It was the first time any U.S. team had medaled in the history of a competition that started in 2000. Sweden was the only team to place higher.
"It was amazing," said Werner of the U.S. flag being raised during the medal ceremony. "We almost couldn't believe it happened because it's something we've all been working for since we started skating. To know that you were the first ones to do it was awesome."
Werner, a Newburyport High alumnus, started her synchronized skating career as a member of the hometown club team, the Iceliners. After that program fell through, she participated with the Colonials out of Acton-Boxboro and now competes for her college team, the Redhawks of Miami.
Her current team is a national powerhouse. In the seven years of world championship competition, Miami has participated five times.
Life as one of the 20 members on a dominating synchronized skating team has its perks. This past year she traveled to Milan where she helped her team to a second-place finish in the Spring Cup. She has skated everywhere, from Finland, to Prague and Torino, Italy. Next year Miami will compete in France and the World Championships will be held in Budapest, Hungary.
But for Werner, the road to success has been more about hard work than glamorous international travel. Her team at Miami competes year-round and when they're not on the road they train like Olympic athletes.
The team's regimen sounds like it could be suited for a hockey program. Weight lifting, skating sprints and occasional collision are typical for a day of practice. All this, along with ballet and ice dancing lessons allows the team to look forward to the lengthy flights overseas, if only for the rest.
"Amanda never stops," said Newburyport's Alice Sedgewick, one of Amanda's long-time coaches.."There were many times when she was in high school, that she would come to the rink not feeling 100 percent but was there to practice. She has grown into a beautiful skater over the years."
Synchronized skating is making a push to be included in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. But Werner, a marketing major, will be out of school by that time and looking forward to life away from the rink.
For now, she'll be spending her summer sweating on the ice, in preparation for a push at the 2008 World Championships in Budapest.
"You have to go into everything with a willingness to work hard," she said. "You owe it to the other girls to work hard. We all just do it because we love it."
Synchronized Skating Silver Medalist
Name: Amanda Werner
Hometown: Newburyport
Current school: University of Miami of Ohio
High school: Newburyport
Sport: Synchronized skating
Accomplishment: Earned silver medal in 2007 Synchronized Skating World Championships
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