And then one day, during open skating time at my local ice rink, opportunity knocked.
I'm fond of practicing in the evenings, when inexperienced beginners, parents with children or noisy teenagers come to the rink to have fun and forget about their daily routines for a little while. During this time, I would work with my students, helping them master my favorite jumps. On this particular evening, I was proud to see one of my hardworking students finally land an especially difficult jump. We had worked together for weeks, discussing her mistakes and helping her learn the proper technique. My student was proud, too, and after practice she ran with enthusiasm to tell her family about how all of her hard work had paid off.