About Us

KIDS' QUESTIONS

June/July 2005

Kids' Questions with Timothy Goebel

I just wanted to say I love your skating so much. You are amazing, and I love watching you skate. I have seen many pictures of you and other skaters such as Sasha Cohen and Michelle Kwan, and I was wondering if all your close friends are skaters or if you have close friends outside of skating, and who some of your close skating friends are?
Stephanie Littman, 16, Carmel Calif.

I am very close with Michelle, Sasha and most of the other people on tour. I feel very lucky to be able to spend so much time with my teammates on tour. We work out together and eat out together quite a bit. We have a really good support group, but I do have a few really close friends who don't skate. I feel its important to have friends with a variety of goals and life experiences.

Timothy Goebel

What do you do to prepare for a competition?
Kiara Abtin, 13, Vancouver, Wash.

I do a run-through of both my short and long every day. If I make mistakes, I always keep going so that when I compete, I know I can make a mistake and still have a strong performance. The other thing I do is to get a lot of rest before I leave because sometimes our practice schedules don't allow us to get as much sleep as we do training at home.

What do you like to do in your little bit of free time?
Kathryn Meyer, 16, Burnsville, Minn.

In my free time I like to do a lot of different things. I like to watch movies and listen to music, or just spend time with friends. Now that I live on the East Coast, I am a lot closer to most of my friends so I will be able to take weekend trips to New York and Delaware to visit people.

First of all, I want to say you are an amazing skater. How did you manage to pull yourself together and do so well this season? What was the hardest thing about returning back to competition?
Katie Nicholson, 16, Ventura, Calif.

I think the reason I was able to pull myself together and compete well this season despite a lot of adversity is my hunger to succeed. I work very hard, and I always want to perform my best. In all of my years of competition I have learned how to pull myself together under many difficult circumstances.

What is it like performing on the Champions on Ice Tour with the most famous figure skaters in the world?
Stephanie Ene, 16, Stamford, Conn.

Performing with Champions on Ice has been such a wonderful experience. My years on the tour have really helped me improve my artistry. But I also have made so many good friends on the tour. It is great to be able to skate with and learn from people that I looked up to when I was a younger skater and learn from their experiences.

How do you know if skating is the sport for you? How did you know that you wanted to be a figure skater?
Nikki Couner, 15, Lincoln

I was very lucky to find skating was for me at such a young age. I knew right from the beginning that this is what I wanted to do. I can't even remember when I decided I liked skating the best because I tried different sports, but I just always knew.

You have always been known as the Quad king, but this year you had trouble landing them. Have you lost confidence in the jump?
Katrina Swift, 14, Pittsfield

There have certainly been times where I have struggled with my quads and have felt like maybe I had lost them. But I also know deep inside that I have done so many over the years it's just a matter of getting comfortable with the timing again and believing in myself. Once you have landed a jump several times in competition, your body knows how to do it. It's just a matter of regaining confidence and consistency.

What advice would you give skaters like me who are learning to do quad jumps?
Garrett Brown, 13, Chicago, Ill.

The best advice I can give for working on quads is to not over-train them. You need to work on them every day, but don't keep pounding away on them because you will get injured. Every person has a different work threshold, but I would recommend doing no more than 8–10 a session.

What is your daily training like?
Kathryn Meyer, 16, Burnsville, Minn.

My daily training usually consists of a short program session, a long program session, and another session to work on footwork, spins and choreography. I usually won't spend more than 2.5 hours on the ice. I warm up off ice for at least 20–30 minutes before my program sessions. I do a variety of cross training including pilates and weight lifting, which I alternate on days throughout the week.

What are some of your goals heading into the Olympic season? In what way is this season different from others?
Caitlin Mahoney, 13, Breckenridge, Colo.

My main goal this upcoming season is to earn a spot on the Olympic Team. My last Olympics was such an amazing time for me, so I just really want to go back and be a part of it again. It's a feeling that I just can't compare to anything else.