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Elite figure skater Katie Pasfield VN of Drummoyne Veterinary Hospital, NSW, has travelled the world to compete on the ice.
“There are three different types of competitive figure skating—singles, pairs and dance. A few years ago, I was competing at an elite level in singles in international competitions. I used to train two to three times a day, six days a week. I competed at the Junior Worlds and Four Continents in 2016. I was also a silver medalist at the FBMA trophy in Abu Dhabi (2016), Skate Down Under in New Zealand (2014), and Rekjavik Games in Iceland (2018). Figure skating has taken me to some amazing places and allowed me to meet some fantastic people.
“Unfortunately, I had to retire from competition because of injury. I have tendinopathy of my quadriceps tendon. It’s a repetitive injury; all those small movements can really impact on your body.
“I could never leave skating, it’s a huge part of my life. My dad is an ice-skating coach and my mum first met him at the ice rink. I was on the ice before I could walk and started competing when I was about five or six. I’m coaching ice-skaters at the moment but can’t take on too many students. I’m working as a vet nurse as well as studying for a veterinary degree so it’s a pretty full schedule. Once I finish my degree, I intend to increase my coaching.
“As a coach, I’ll sometimes come across a kid with natural talent and that’s a fantastic thing to see. But no matter how talented you are, if you don’t have passion and a love for the sport, it doesn’t matter. I’ve also coached kids who are a bit uncoordinated, like me, but they love it and persist and come in twice a day, every day of the week. Having drive is essential. If you’re willing to put in the work, skating will pay off.
“I’m planning to get involved with skating shows again. I’ve appeared in Stars on Ice performances in Australia and Singapore, and I’d love to get back into that. I’d also love to compete again, but I’ll have to see how my injuries go.
“It’s hard to describe how skating makes me feel. I’m not a particularly coordinated person, but when I’m on the ice, everything glides and all the stress of life goes away. To be able to skate fast and spin and express yourself is so much fun. I find figure skating to be a very lovable sport. I’ve practically grown up with skates attached to my feet. There’s no doubt it’s made me who I am today.”
