Yellow - A Figure Skating Story

Anna Novikova

It had been a few days since I had moved in with my former coach in order to begin my year long escape to the United States. Now, I want to clarify that I did not hate my life at home, even if my mother would never stop hounding me about getting together with whatever son of a rich oligarch she found this time.

Ever since my senior debut win at Skate Canada in 2017, the Russian media has wanted nothing more than to know every little thing that happened to me. My Olympic silver medal finish early the following year had only intensified this, and I had become sick of the whole thing. Even my career ending injury midway through the 2020-2021 season had done nothing to quell their endless questions.

A few months ago, in December, I called it quits on my competition career when it became apparent that I would never recover to the point I had been before the injury. While it was a weight off of my shoulders, my mother's pressure for me to find a rich husband only increased from that point on until I finally had enough.

Following my retirement, my coach, Katarina Pavlova, moved to the United States after receiving a coach opportunity at a rink. While it had been sad to send her off, it played out in my favor, as she was the reason that I stood inside of an unfamiliar ice rink.

In order to secure a visa for my excursion, I agreed to take up a job at the rink helping teach the younger students and the beginner adults. Apparently, they were desperate for the help as one of their competitive skaters was currently filling that role. Seeing that it would be a good way to keep myself exercising during my retirement, I agreed and so here I am now, getting acquainted with the rink before my first day on the job.

Being a gracious host, Katarina was taking the time to show me around herself, and I was grateful for that.

"Welcome to the rink. You will call this place home for the next year," Katarina smiles as we enter the rink. "While ice skating isn't that popular around here, you find that we regularly have a lot of students of all levels training here."

Katarina leads me through the spacious lobby and past a wall of windows when movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention.

Looking through the window, I am greeted by the open space that contains the rink that is currently occupied by a single male figure skater. He appears to be skating a program, however I hear no music playing and chalk it up to him wearing earbuds. After all, it had been the same thing I did whenever I had practiced alone.

As I watch on, he sets up for a jump pass before delivering a clean quadruple Salchow with a level of effortless grace that I had only seen from the top male skaters in the world. Not only was his jumps good as he landed his follow up triple axel with only a slight wobble, but his artistic abilities were clear and present for all to see. Even without hearing the music for his program, I could feel the emotional weight of his story of heartbreak radiating from him.

I am so focused on him, I hardly notice a coach entering the rink through a door close to us.

This guy has a ton of talent, so what had I never heard of him before today?

"Who is that?" I ask as I keep my eyes glued on him.

"Daniel Hunter," she replies. "The guy I was telling you about when we talked."

I chuckle with a smile. "You mean the one that you said I would like if I got to know him?"

It had been one of Katarina's selling points to get me to agree to join her at the rink. I had been skeptical and still was, but seeing the guy that she had been trying to sell me in person put a smile on my face.

"Yes," Katarina chuckles behind me. "He hasn't made it to nationals yet, but I would put money on him doing so this year. His coach has molded him into this rink's golden child, and they do everything to ensure he gets the resources he needs."