After learning to skate at age five, Isadora Williams \u2013 like many young skaters \u2013 soon dreamed of competing in the Olympics. But unlike most skaters, the Montclair State student has realized her dream: first by competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and more recently by qualifying to compete in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in February for Brazil.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was honestly a dream come true to compete in Sochi,\u201d says Williams. \u201cAs a little kid, I always watched the Olympics on TV and aspired to be like the skaters I saw. It was such a surreal experience to actually be one of them \u2013 and to be the first Brazilian figure skater at the Olympics.\u201d<\/p>\n
In September, Williams, the daughter of a Brazilian mother and American father, earned her 2018 Winter Olympics spot at the 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany. She will again skate for Brazil in February in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.<\/p>\n
Williams readily admits that she didn\u2019t skate her best in Sochi. \u201cI was overwhelmed by the games themselves and cracked under the pressure,\u201d she recalls. \u201cThings will definitely be better this time around. I\u2019ve matured and have had a lot more experience competing \u2013 and am much more confident \u2013 since the last games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Balancing School, Work<\/strong> and Training<\/strong><\/p>\n A Nutrition and Food Science major, with a concentration in Dietetics, Williams balances a full schedule of classwork, training and coaching. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely not easy, but I\u2019ve managed to create a schedule that allows me to fit everything into my week without going crazy,\u201d she explains. \u201cI\u2019m taking 13 credits instead of the standard 15 so I can fit all of my extracurricular activities into my week.\u201d<\/p>\n These activities include spending up to three hours on the ice five days a week \u2013 usually in the morning or early afternoon \u2013 at on-campus Floyd Hall Arena and training for an hour and a half twice a week at its gym. She also coaches at the Arena on the weekends. \u201cI\u2019m usually running from place to place, fitting in homework and studying whenever I have a break. It almost feels strange if I ever have a day with free time at this point,\u201d she confesses.<\/p>\n Williams has changed her training approach since 2014 by working with new coaches Kristen Fraser and Igor Lukanin. \u201cThey were both Olympic ice dancers and they\u2019ve worked with me on power and speed, instead of having my focus be only on jumps,\u201d she says. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ll be a better overall skater at the upcoming Olympic Games.\u201d<\/p>\n For the Olympics, Williams will be skating to \u201cHallelujah\u201d sung by k.d. lang for her short program and \u201cNyah\u201d by CH2 for her free skate \u2013 programs that qualified her for the Olympics. While her coaches choreographed her programs, she has always weighed in on music and costume choices. She explains, \u201cThey\u2019re always open to my ideas, because in order to have a successful program you have to really love it. After all, you\u2019re the one who has to train it every day.\u201d<\/p>\n While the two-time Olympian loves the artistry and athleticism of figure skating, she hopes to do more than turn in impeccable performances in Pyeongchang. \u201cMy goal is to be one of the 24 skaters to advance from the short program to compete in the free program,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to redemption.\u201d<\/p>\n