https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-a-senior-synchronized-skater-gets-pumped-to-perform-11645228180
Marjorie Callahan, a 72-year-old retiree in Sarasota, Fla., trains year round in a unique discipline: senior synchronized ice skating.
Ms. Callahan competes locally and nationally with her team, Tropical Spice on Ice. The sport blends elements of singles and pairs skating with ice dancing, in side-by-side performances by teams of eight to 20 skaters.
Ms. Callahan didn’t grow up skating. It wasn’t until age 60 that she signed up for lessons. Kelly Paige, coach of Tropical Spice on Ice, took notice of Ms. Callahan’s dedication at the rink. In 2016, Ms. Callahan, then 66, was invited to join the team.
The average age of the 12-member team is about 65; the oldest competitor is 82. The women typically enter three competitions a year and put on two local shows. During competitions, teams are required to demonstrate formations, like linking arms to form a circle or a block, which consist of rows of skaters moving in unison.
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Ms. Callahan has taken her share of spills learning new tricks. “I don’t have the balance or fearlessness of a kid anymore,” she says. But her worst tumble didn’t happen on the ice. It happened last April while she was walking her two mini Goldendoodles. A misstep resulted in a dislocated foot and two broken ankle bones. Thanks to rigorous physical-therapy sessions, she was back skating by the end of September, and performing spins and intricate footwork earlier this month.
In addition to synchronized competitions, Ms. Callahan hopes to compete individually in adult national championships in Littleton, Colo., this October. “There’s no greater sense of accomplishment than performing and knowing my grandkids are watching,” she says.
Team practices focus on commonly-used synchronized skating skills, such as forward and backward crossovers, which involve passing the outside skate over the toe of the inside skate. Becoming familiar with each skater’s style, strengths and weaknesses is key to staying in unison, Ms. Callahan says.
She has kept up her daily physical-therapy exercises. Her home routine incorporates pistol squats—deep, one-legged squats—single-leg calf raises, and ankle drills where she balances on one leg while tapping the toes of her opposite foot in a semicircular pattern.
She also uses a Frisbee-sized gliding disc beneath one foot as she performs reverse and side lunges.
Breakfast: A cinnamon-and-raisin English muffin topped with peanut butter. Ms. Callahan used to drink soda every morning, but abandoned the habit after her ankle injury.
Lunch: An egg-salad sandwich on rye, a banana.Dinner: Salmon and vegetables.
Ms. Callahan personally loves skating to “Moondance” by Van Morrison. Her group’s routines have been performed to the tunes of Billy Joel, Michael Jackson and the Beatles.
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Appeared in the February 22, 2022, print edition as 'Skater, at 72, Syncs With Body, Team.'
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