Mirai Nagasu, the 2008 senior ladies U.S. Figure Skating Champion, held a press conference this past Wednesday to promote the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The event officially begins tomorrow at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. This season, Mirai placed fifith at Skate America and eighth at the NHK Trophy.
I cannot begin to imagine the level of expectation on this 15-year-old
as the defending U.S. champion. She's also been dealing with a right
foot injury so the topics ranged from her foot, to her growth spurt, to
going through adolescence for the whole world to see.
I attended the teleconference with other journalists and really felt the 15-year-old in Mirai, but also the maturity within her in order to be in her situation going into Nationals. She likened her situation to climbing up a mountain (that's the hard part) but also climbing down (that's the fun part). She described the relationship between her and coach Charlene Wong as somewhat a "journey of a hero." It was very interesting and below are excerpts from the teleconference, with some minor edits. (Photo at right, Mirai at Rockefeller Rink in NYC after winning 2008 U.S. Championships)
On challenge of being so young and dealing with pressure and emotion...
Being young, age doesn't really matter in skating and winning at the National Championships. It's just there's age restrictions for going to Worlds and stuff. I have to say that it was a lot easier being 14 last year with no thoughts. It was just easier to get through my programs because I was always energetic and my metabolism just was on fire 24/7. Now as I'm growing older and teenage adolescence has hit me, it's getting a lot harder but it's not anything I can't get past - It's just one of those challenges that you enjoy going through, even though it's really hard sometimes. It's just been a great experience and regardless of what I need to do in my life, I'm really looking forward to taking these experiences and just running away with them. They're just great and I love every part of skating.
On competitiveness at these championships...
I'm just really competitive overall and in general. We want over this in my English class today. We were drawing on each other binders. I drew on one side but I didn't draw that much. And then my friend just went and graffiti-ed the whole thing and said, "Oh, you got ___." I said oh no no no, I'm gonna come back. I have to do something. So I spent the whole period trying to draw over binders. I know it's really stupid, but that competitive streak in me just has kept me going in skating and so I'm really grateful for that.
On her Worlds and Olympic aspirations...
I've dreamed about going to the Olympics ever since I was young. I always have it in the back of my mind the fact that I do wanna go to the Olympics. I'm grateful for everything that I have right now. I always wanna try for what's been offered to me, and so, I definitely want to go to the Olympics. But right now, my first step is U.S. Championships for this year. Even though I only have one more week, I'm really working hard towards that.
Thoughts on making the podium at Olympics in Vancouver...
Right now, just making it to the Olympics would be a dream come true. I haven't really thought about the podium yet, but hopefully maybe I'll get around to it soon. Right now, the U.S. Championships is the first priority on my list.
Whether coach Charlene Wong has shared her experiences (being a former Canadian competitor) to help Mirai prepare for the upcoming Nationals...
She doesn't really talk about her -- the way she went into each competition. But she does tell me fun stories about what she did and stuff and it's always enjoyable to hear about them. I think that she's seeing me as another skater, and she's not really using her past to teach me. But she's using her -- she just guides me to where the goals that we've set together. I'm always grateful for her to be there for me. She's like a mentor who guides me on the journey of the hero, kind of.
On facing adolescence and whether she's become more rebellious...
Definitely I've become rebellious in that I don't wanna do homework and I don't wanna wake up at 5 o'clock a.m. I know it's just part of the things I have to do if I wanna continue doing what I love. Everyone has gone through it, most everyone has gotten past it. I feel like Evan Lysacek and Johnny Weir - they just inspire me so much. So regardless of my rebellious side, I know that I need to be strict with myself and discipline myself to get past it. If I get through all of the hard stuff now, it'll be like getting over a mountain where climbing up is difficult, but climbing back down is fun and full of excitement. Just the prospect of what's beyond that mountain just makes me wanna go farther. My adolescence is just a challenge that I have to get past. Reporter: Thank you very much. I don't think a lot of 30-year-olds could have answered that question that well.
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