Madeline Tello
Staff Writer
Junior Simona Krasnegor carves up the ice and sticks her landings, competing for the win.
Krasnegor practices and competes as a solo figure skater at the Skating Edge Ice Arena in Torrance and also at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo.
“Skating has been a big part of my life since I was very young and I’ve been seriously ice skating for almost 13 years now,” Krasnegor said. “Skating is part of [my] identity and I genuinely love what I do.”
Krasnegor began figure skating when she was three and a half years old and has since dedicated 13 years of her life to the sport. Although she is not part of a team or league, she still participates in local competitions and travels for out of state competitions as a soloist ice skater.
“I have to work out 5 days a week which includes physical therapy for my knee,” Krasnegor said. “During skating practice, I’m also on the ice for about three hours a day.”
In 2017, Simona injured her knee as a result of stress on her ligaments from spins and jumps done on the ice. Since her injury took place, Krasnegor has consistently participated in physical therapy in order to ensure that she will be able to compete again this spring. In conjunction with physical therapy, Krasnegor also regularly attends skating practice in order to maintain her technique and form.
“I hope to be able to compete soon, but until then I’m focusing on improving my technique in order to be prepared and healthy enough to be able to compete in the future.” Krasnegor said.
Before a competition, Krasnegor makes sure that she is more than just physically ready for the big moments. She practices on a daily basis to best improve her technique and is always making sure that she is psychologically ready by finding and staying in a positive mindset in order to execute her ice skating routines to the best of her ability.
“Competitions [require] a lot of mental preparation so making sure you do not get intimidated and staying in the right mind space is the hardest part,” Krasnegor said.
Krasnegor draws on her love and dedication for figure skating to find inspiration for her choreography. She also is always motivated to do her best when she practices and prepares to compete in competitions.
“Daily practice [helps me] with [my] skills and when I compete, I’m able to take inspiration from nothing other than my love for the sport in general,” Krasnegor said.
Simona recently competed in the 2017 Southwest Pacific Regional Free Skate Championships in Arizona, where she scored 64.39. This was the highest long program score and placed first in qualifying in the Intermediate Ladies Free Skate competition.
“I was happy with how I skated at the time, but now looking back there are definitely small things I wish I had done better,” Krasnegor said.
When she is not occupied with long hours of figure skating practice, Krasnegor has Advanced Placement and Honors classes. Over the years, she has had to balance all her classes with her sport. Recently, Simona has taken a break from competing due to a knee injury, opting to use her time to recover, improving her skills and focus on school.
“I’m planning on competing again when I can confidently say that I can skate without my knee hurting, ” Krasnegor said, “I’m hoping that I’ll be competing by May.”
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