Maple Grove Ice Dancer Headed to U.S. Championships
At 6 a.m. many high school freshmen are still sleeping. Bella Golomb can be found at the Maple Grove Ice Arena.
“Love, discipline and goal setting definitely are what creates someone who wants to strive to be a champion,” said Mandy Pirich, one of Bella’s coaches. “Bella is striving to do exactly that.”
Golomb, 15 of Maple Grove, started ice skating competitions when she was 10 years old. At her first competition she took first place.
“That was something that I think that helped motivate me more,” said Golomb. “I was like, ‘I want this, I got this.’ I really want to pursue this deeper.'”
She did pursue the sport deeper. Not long after Golomb started skating, her coaches thought she and her ice dancing partner, Skyler Weirens, should compete together.
“I really liked it,” said Golomb. “There was something about having the company of someone on the ice. I thought it was a very creative discipline in figure skating, a lot like ballroom dance which is something I like to watch. So, I told my mom I wanted to keep doing this and I want to get better at this.”
Set for U.S. Figure Skating Championships
Ever since, Bella and Skyler have been crushing goals together. The duo is one of only 12 ice dancing pairs to qualify for juvenile competition at the 2019 Geico U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit. They are scheduled to perform Jan. 19 and Jan. 20.
While the pair qualified for nationals they also won special awards at their qualifying competition. They had the highest point value for a difficult lift. They also had the second highest point value in the nation for their free dance routine. Golomb’s positive attitude has helped her achieve several goals.
“All I need to do is stay humble and keep progressing,” she said.
Golomb says she wouldn’t be able to do it without her loved ones.
“People around me like my coaches and my parents they help me get all the stress out before competitions,” she said. “They remind me that I’m skating for myself. It’s not for anyone else.”
