Update on Rachael Flatt

[Jammers]

Excellent excellent article!

This is another reason why I've always admired Rachael, her positive attitude, just an all around good American kid, which is reflected in the way she skates. J O Y!

And if she eventually does call it quits, she can be happy she went out a winner, literally ~ 2005 US Novice Champion, 2008 Jr. World Champion, 2010 US National Champion ~ as well as an Olympian, and she went to Worlds three times. Not many skaters can say the same thing. What an accomplishment.

However, if she does eventually return to *competitve* skating I hope she listens to her body first & foremost, and it looks like she has, Thank God!!!! Seriously, too many skaters have been pushing their bodies too soon too fast after injury/surgery and as a result have seen their return sidelined by injury once again (e.g. Evan Lysacek, Evgeni Plushenko, Alissa Czisny, and mayhap even John Couglin if he returns too soon). Instead I say take a note from Gracie Gold & Courtney Hicks, whom both were injured in the past, took a year off, and now look where they are at!

Lastly, a doctor, a DOCTOR, what a wonderful one Rachael will make with her perpetual smile and sunny outlook... *insert sunshine emoticon*

When was Gracie injured?

[Sylvia]

When was Gracie injured?

She wasn't. NadineWhite also mis-posted in this thread and I corrected her here: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...=1#post3819992

[NadineWhite]

Sorry about that everyone as regards G.G. being injured, that's a mistake on my part. For some reason I thought she was injured, but no as Sylvia stated she finished 6th at Midwestern Sectionals and therefore failed to qualify for the 2011 US Jr. National Championships. But what I recall reading from an article on the 'net was that lit a fire under her, and she decided to re-dedicate herself to training, et al, which she had more than enough time to do so after not qualifying for Nationals (her season was over). And the rest is history...

ps: sorry for derailing such a splendid Rachael Flatt thread, but just needed to clear up that bit of false info. on my part as concerns G.G. Thanks for understanding everyone.

[TheIronLady]

If the USA has three spots, and if Rachael can slim down, I see her going for it. She is a tough cookie.

[lilshorty]

I like Rachael. I hope she does what's best for her in whatever decision she makes.

[euterpe]

Rachael will make the right decision for her, and whatever it is, she will be a winner. When she graduates from Stanford, she'll be accepted at the top medical school of her choice and she'll have a brilliant career.

[overedge]

if Rachael can slim down

She seems to have accomplished quite a lot while carrying her current horribly excessive weight

[Sasha'sSpins]

Dr. Rachael Flatt, M.D. has a nice ring. and she'd join the illustrious ranks of Dr. Tenley Albright and Dr. Debi Thomas. I'm sure there are many other skaters I don't know about who went on to medical careers.

[leafygreens]

Honestly, I think being an RA and being a competitive figure skater would be incredibly challenging. Good for her for being so accepting, though, and for finding things that she loves outside of skating. Rachael has everything she needs for success!

Side note: she's injured; I wonder how she's doing with the urban dance group?

Yeah, she's on her way out if she wants to be an RA. Clearly lost interest in being a competitive skater. There's no way you can have time for studying pre-med, being an RA and a competitive skater!

[MacMadame]

Are you being sarcastic? Because I was an RA my senior year of college and it took almost no time at all.

[Anita18]

Depends on how bothersome your students are. The RAs I knew were mostly super-laid back and are friends with everybody. That's how they easily kept the peace.

Doesn't really surprise me how hands-on Rachael insists on being. She's at Stanford, after all.

[Ziggy]

She seems to have accomplished quite a lot while carrying her current horribly excessive weight

She has accomplished quite a lot when she was younger. The weight issue has gotten worse recently and the problems on the jumps followed suit.

[B.Cooper]

She has accomplished quite a lot when she was younger. The weight issue has gotten worse recently and the problems on the jumps followed suit.

I think the chronological order was.....injuries first. IIRC, she started having problems with boots/tendinitis in autumn 2010, NHK and then SA....and that has continued into 2013.

[overedge]

She has accomplished quite a lot when she was younger. The weight issue has gotten worse recently and the problems on the jumps followed suit.

Having seen her skate in October at Skate America, I don't think she has any "weight issue".

[Ziggy]

Having seen her skate in October at Skate America, I don't think she has any "weight issue".

Ideal skater build is very slim with dense but not overly developed muscles.

[Anita18]

Ideal skater build is very slim with dense but not overly developed muscles.

And some people just have larger frames than others, and carry weight a lot more readily. Rachael filled out after puberty, but I don't believe she could have starved or spun-class herself back to her prepubescent frame. You can see it in her wrists, compared to Mao or Yu-Na's. Rachael worked very well with what she had, but it's great that she has plans after skating.

[maureenfarone]

I think Rachael's original injury was bulging discs in her back that go back to 2007-2008 when she missed some of the JGP. She actually has a nice classic layback and ina bauer, but really doesn't seem to be able to do the bendy positions required by COP. She mentioned that she still has to carefully manage her back and is still having problems with the injuries to her right leg.

She accomplished a lot, as mentioned above, and I wish her well in the future whether or not that includes skating.

[TheIronLady]

She could have had better programs in 2009-2012 were it not for the back problems. I think with what she has pulled off in her career, she cannot be counted out until she says she's out.

As for her weight, the injuries and reduced ice time naturally make it harder to stay svelte. At Skate America, her timing looked good, but she wasn't the trimmest she's been since the Olympics. If she wants to complete more jumps, of course she will try to lose some weight.

[orbitz]

Are you being sarcastic? Because I was an RA my senior year of college and it took almost no time at all.

Were you an RA to freshmen, juniors, etc.? What type of anonymous performance feed-backs did you get?

[Skittl1321]

Are you being sarcastic? Because I was an RA my senior year of college and it took almost no time at all.

Our RAs were required to have pretty extensive 'office hours'. I mean, they could just be in their room studying, but they were basically trapped there the equivalent of a full time job- going and training full time would be difficult. They also had to be in their room overnight I think 95% of the days in the semester, they couldn't stay out weekend nights, and couldn't really travel (so competitions would be difficult).

Other than move in day, and like one dorm meeting though I don't remember actually ever interacting with my RA.