ELLENTON - Lifesize cardboard cutouts of Olympic figure skaters Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett promoting a skin-care product may soon greet mall-goers across the country.

Olympic skater Amanda Evora now discusses with two agents her media availability and how she can use her status as an Olympian to team up with a good cause.

And her partner, Mark Ladwig, writes thank-you notes and signs autographs rather than catching his breath during breaks from training at the Ellenton rink.

Life has changed since the two Ellenton-trained figure skating pairs made their Olympic debut last month.

But the quartet is also focusing on doing much of the same work that earned them their tickets to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.

The two pairs became local celebrities after winning the gold and silver medals at the national championships in Spokane, Wash., in January. They were then chosen to represent the U.S. at the Olympics, where Evora and Ladwig finished 10th and Denney and Barrett landed in 13th.

"We're just maintaining momentum right now," said Evora, 25. "Things around us are changing, but we're trying to follow the same routine."

The skaters returned to the Ellenton Ice and Sports Complex on Tuesday to resume intense training for the World Figure Skating Championships in Turin, Italy, this month.

By day, they are perfecting their spins and death spirals.

But by night, they are sorting gifts, unpacking their loads of Olympic merchandise and seeking normalcy after weeks of upheaval.

"I just noticed my kid got bigger and has more hair," said Ladwig, 29. "I didn't see him for two weeks."

Another welcome but unexpected change in Ladwig's life was news of a funding increase from the United States Figure Skating Association.

The organization funds skaters depending on their potential to perform well at international competition.

There are three tiers of annual funding; Ladwig and Evora have moved up to qualify for the highest funding possible in the next fiscal year.

"I'm so grateful for that," Ladwig said. "The increase basically secures that I'll be able to pay my mortgage and continue skating."

Evora said she considers the recent success a blessing that has stoked her desire to give back to the community. She is considering running marathons and helping to promote nonprofit foundations.

"When you achieve something you thought was so far-fetched, you begin to realize how much else you can do," she said.

Images of Denney, 16, and Barrett, 25, promoting Botanical Buffet skin care products from the Pure Chemistry Line may soon emerge in up to 300 malls after the pair's Tuesday photo shoot in Clearwater.

They are also in early talks to join the touring ice show "Stars on Ice" for performances in four Florida cities.

Meanwhile, the Denneys are trying to get back to life as usual. Even an Olympian has to complete schoolwork and do chores around the house, said mother DeeDee Denney.

But Caydee's success on ice has affected her schooling. Sure, she did have to set math aside for a few days to focus on skating, but it also prompted an online academy to offer her a full scholarship.

The Olympic exposure enlightened the teenager to another possible career goal besides becoming a dental hygienist.

After the flurry of TV interviews on the Today Show, ESPN and others, she became interested in pursuing broadcast journalism.

"It almost reminds me of another way of performing, which I obviously love to do," she said.

The Olympians remain an attraction to the media, the community and beginning skaters.

Enrollment in this month's basic skills skating program has exploded, possibly tripling the amount of students from the typical 40, said Olympic coach and skating director Lyndon Johnston.

The team leaves for Italy on March 19, carrying with them the goal of escalating U.S. figure skating on the international scene.

Their world rankings will affect how many pairs teams from the United States qualify for next year's world championships and the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

If the two pairs can place high enough, a third pairs team may qualify for next year's competition.