WHEN six year old Lucy Ladret saw ice skaters for the first time on TV at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, she knew the sport was for her.
Fast forward ten years and the 16-year-old Roedean pupil is celebrating after just competing at the British Ice Skating Championships and coming second in the Britannia Cup event in Nottingham in the synchronised skating event with her team.
Lucy spent those ten years becoming a talented figure skater and then fell in love with the synchronised skating category after joining London club Lee Valley where she trains with her team, Phoenix Gold. The team is currently battling at Intermediate level through the 2023/2024 season to become season champs and will next compete in March at the Steel City Cup in Sheffield. They have already won gold once, at Skate London in November, the first big contest of the current season.
Said Lucy: “It is wonderful competing at this level. This is my first season in the team and it was fantastic to win gold at Skate London and get a second place in Nottingham. Our personal best now stands at 37.75 and we can only go up from there.”
“I train every Sunday morning with a combination of on-ice training and off-ice stretching. During the week, I continue my training with more fitness, personal stretching and choreography rehearsals to ensure I’m on top form to train with my team during the weekend. I also have to do quite a lot of individual ice skating training with a separate coach to keep improving my skill level, which I do on Saturdays, and mostly during school holidays. All of this training is extremely beneficial, as it allows me to compete to the highest level in competitions.”
The schoolgirl hopes to continue her skating at top level by finding a university to attend close to rink facilities but says that competing isn’t just about winning.
“I hope to be able to skate in adult teams in the future, but I also want to continue with skating as it has definitely helped me in terms of organisation, discipline and resilience as well as learning about teamwork.”
Roedean deputy head Dr Ross Barrand added: “A big congratulations to Lucy – this is a real commitment and requires a lot of training to get to such a high standard. We look forward to seeing how the season progresses and fingers crossed for the team.”
Categories: Roedean School
