Many may know Lucy Gund ‘19 from watching videos of her ice skate, leaving all of us that are completely inflexible in awe of her ability to twirl and leap with such ease. Others may know her as a defender on the JV puck team or as an inquisitive student in the classroom. What many don’t know is her work behind-the-scenes: long hours of training and sacrifice in order to succeed in her sport. Although balancing academics and athletics are difficult, Lucy’s dedication has propelled her to championships and top national finishes.
Lucy’s journey as a figure skater started when she was three years old. For three years, her determination propelled her forward. However, at the age of six, Lucy took a four year break from the ice until at the age of ten, when she realized that she “missed the feeling of being on the ice.” Her time off proved to be a difficulty, as many of her opponents had improved dramatically. “[Coming back to skating] was difficult because I had catch up to the other girls, who had been competing when I was out,” she reminisces. Regardless, Lucy definitely caught up; this past year she has won four major competitions–one of which was the State Championship. Throughout her career, she has traveled for competitions as far away as Minnesota and Colorado, garnering countless titles in the process.
Accompanying the glamour of skating are the hours of dedicated practice. On average, Lucy trains six days a week for two to three hours a day at the Colonial Skating Club–one of the best skating teams in New England. Along with various exercises on the ice, she has “strength and conditioning [training] and ballet for flexibility.” She works with specialized coaches who mentor her every step: “one that operates a harness for learning new jumps, one for choreography, and one for edges and footwork.”
This year, Lucy will be competing at the Junior level–an extremely competitive rank that requires many competitors to rely on home-school and online courses in order to accommodate for the focus required for training. But not Lucy. Despite her demanding schedule, Lucy has been able to keeps up with schoolwork with effective time management. Simply put, Lucy is both an anomaly on and off the ice, able to balance the demanding academics and athletics.
In the future, Lucy will attempt to receive figure skating gold medals by “passing the highest level in each of the disciplines,” she explains. If she is successful, she will compete at the senior level, the highest level possible in ice skating. The senior level is the level at which Olympians compete. Throughout the year, she will participate in upcoming exhibitions for charity events such as the Jimmy Fund, which funds money for cancer research, and the Why Me Sherry’s house, which helps families with children who have cancer.
As Lucy continues to spin across the ice and to win championships, many will be on the lookout for this talented young athlete. Hopefully, she will bring back the gold in the regional competition this upcoming weekend in Vermont and many other exhibitions to come this fall. With all the commitment Lucy puts into the sport she loves, we hope to see her someday at the Olympics.