Pair bring their Olympic hopes to Southwest Florida

By Ryan Boyd

ELLENTON -- Mark Ladwig traveled to seven American cities and Canada with everything he owned in egg crates in the back of his Honda. When she was 18, Amanda Evora left all of her family and friends in Texas.

Now, the two figure skaters who have traveled widely in their quest to someday perform on Olympic ice have made sunny Southwest Florida the headquarters from which they will chase their dream. The pairs figure skating partners moved here specifically to train at the Igloo ice-skating facility in Ellenton with Kerry Leitch, their coach and the director of the Igloo.

"I think every skater has a dream of being a Olympian," said Evora, 20, a resident of Ellenton and a student at Manatee Community College.

On Thursday, Ladwig and Evora practiced feverishly in the chilly arena. Ladwig said their training consists of running four to five miles a day, jogging up and down two flights of stairs 90 times a day, and a host of other endurance drills. Ladwig and Evora also give ice-skating lessons at the Igloo.

The two will compete for the first time in an international event this month. They'll perform with 60 athletes from 12 countries at Smart One Skate America in Atlantic City, N.J., on Oct. 20-23. The following week, they will travel to St. John's, Newfoundland, to participate in the MasterCard Skate Canada figure skating tournament.

"We have never competed internationally before," Evora said. "We're nervous, but we're going out there like we've got nothing to lose."

Those are just two of six events the pair will compete in this year through the International Skating Union's Grand Prix Series. The tournament will be broadcast nationally by ABC Sports and ESPN on four different dates in late October. Prize money ranges from $18,000 for the winners to $2,000 for fifth place.

"This is like the championship series of NASCAR for us," said Ladwig, 25, who also works as a server at the Beach Bistro restaurant in Holmes Beach.

Ladwig and Evora finished fifth in the U.S. Nationals earlier this year, and they're expecting stiff competition on the international level.

"We expect some innovative moves from them," said Ladwig, a native of Fargo N.D., and resident of Palmetto. "It's almost going to be like a show and tell for everyone out there."

Ladwig and Evora are thrilled that their fellow local ice skaters will get a chance to see them perform on television.

"It's great to get recognition for our sport on TV," Ladwig said. "Our sport combines artistry with athleticism."

Maneuvers such as the death spiral, pair spin, and show and lift are often perfected at blinding speeds, and the skaters realize chemistry is of great importance. The death spiral is the most risky move of the three. Moving at high speed and holding the female skater with one hand, the male skater goes into a sitting position as the female uses one foot to go around her partner.

"By smart thinking and smart technique, you can prevent bad injuries from happening," Evora said. "We trust each other totally."

Leitch said he wants the skaters to train hard.

"I tell the kids training is like winning the lottery," Leitch said. "You got to play to win the lottery. So the more training they do, the closer they'll get to winning a championship."

Figure skaters Mark Ladwig and Amanda Evora rehearse their routine Friday at the Igloo.

Article Courtesy of the Herald Tribune