By Jack Harrison
@jhcourant
Passion. Grit. Attention to detail. These are all core values of a student-athlete in New Canaan. Year after year, we see our athletes embody these values and go on to play Division 1 football and lacrosse, exhibiting skill and determination. Amidst the hype of these sports, however, we often overlook the successes of other athletes, such as volleyball players, cross-country runners, and … synchronized skaters?
Enter Seobin Lee, a standout member of the Skyliner Synchronized Skating national team. As just a junior in high school, Lee isn’t just thinking about competing on the collegiate level. She’s set a much higher goal for herself: becoming a World Champion.
For Seobin, being a part of a national skating team comes with an intense travel schedule. Based in the tristate area, the team frequently travels around the world for competitions and tournaments. Seobin and her team were scheduled to take part in the 2020 World Championships in April, but the tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19.
When competing domestically, the stakes are high, Seobin said. But international events are a whole new ballgame. ““When skating internationally, there is a lot more pressure because you want to represent the United States in the best way possible,” she said.
Because the pressure is so high, Seobin and her team are forced to meticulously prepare for competitions. Though on-ice practice is crucial to performances, Seobin stresses the importance of off-ice training, such as fitness classes and ballet. “Off-ice training is just as important as on-ice training because you get to walk through with music, and it’s much easier to break down the steps,” she said.
Because synchronized skating is not currently in the Olympics, Seobin and her team are instead focused on the World Championships. “At this point in time, my biggest goal is to be a World Champion,” she said.
Synchronized skating is something that has fascinated Seobin since she was very young. “When I was little, one day we turned on the TV and it was the 2009 World Championships, and I was like ‘Oh my God, I want to do that,’” she said.
Seobin started with group skating lessons, then realized that her ice rink had a skating team and joined it. She tried out for her first synchronized team when she was 8, and skated on the local team for four years. She eventually switched to the Skyliners national team, which she currently competes on.
Though the fierce atmosphere of an international skating competition might be daunting to some, Seobin’s competitive spirit allows her to embrace it. “Walking onto the ice is a surreal experience,” she said. “You can feel the adrenaline running through you and hear everyone cheering for you. It’s something you are only able to feel in competitive skating.”
The high school does not currently have a synchronized skating team, but Seobin would love to see the sport grow in our community. She encourages new skaters to start young, like she did, but she also reminds people that anything is possible with hard work. “My piece of advice is to work very hard because if you do, you can achieve anything you want in this sport,” she said. “That’s one of the things I love about it.”
