Ava
Ava Stephens
Age: 17
Hometown: San Jose, California, USA
Spirit Animal: Butterfly
Fun Fact: “I can solve a rubix cube.”
Born in Portland, Oregon, Ava began training in ballet and gymnastics at the age of two. Shortly after moving to Massachusetts at the age of six, she put skates on for the first time while participating in a Learn to Skate class and fell in love with the sport.
“I quickly increased my time on the ice while continuing ballet training at the Boston Ballet.”
In 2015, Ava moved back to the West coast and began training in San Jose, before and after school, where she is currently coached by Rudy Galindo and Ryan Berning.
Describe yourself in one word.
“Dedicated. I always make sure to put 100% effort into everything I am committed to.”
Q: Who is someone in your life that inspires or motivates you?
“My mom inspires me. She taught me the importance of hard work.”
Q: Who was your skating ‘role-model’ when you were younger?
“When I was younger, my skating role model was Polina Edmunds. I grew up training on the ice with Polina at my local rink and she has always been a great example for me to look up to.”
Q: What is your favourite element in skating?
“My favourite element is the triple lutz. I also love doing Beilmann spins.”
Q: What is your favourite type of off-ice training?
“My favorite type of off-ice training is stretching and jump rotations. Working on my spin positions and jump technique off of the ice helps me perfect them when I’m on the ice.”
Q: Did you ever endure some type of adversity in your career?
“Two years ago, I had a stress fracture in my foot and had to spend months off of the ice. Having to spend time off the ice was hard for me but I was able to recover and come back better than ever.”
“I have also gone through the stresses of being a full-time high school student and elite level athlete. While waking up at 4:30 am to train before school every day is challenging, I persevere because I know it will be worth it in the end.”
Q: Do you have any pre-competition rituals or superstitions?
“Before competitions, I like to put on my earbuds and play my favorite songs to help me relax and settle my nerves.”
Q: What’s currently on your playlist?
“I love listening to Taylor Swift to get in the zone.”
Q: How do you remain composed at competitive events?
“As I take my starting position, I tell myself to just skate my best and have fun.”
Q: Do you do any type of visualization or meditation?
“Before competitions, I always imagine myself doing my program on the rink that I am competing on. This helps me stay focused and helps me relax even though I am skating at an unfamiliar rink.”
Q: On days that you don’t feel like training, what keeps you motivated?
“I stay motivated by remembering what I am working for. I remind myself why I fell in love with skating in the first place.”
Q: What it your ultimate goal with skating?
“My ultimate goal with skating is to perform to the best of my ability at competitions. I want to continue skating for as long as I can and compete at the national level.”
Q: What is it that you love most about skating?
“Nothing beats the feeling of a perfectly landing jump or taking my bow after I skate a clean program. Skating is my outlet to express myself on the ice.”
Q: What is your most memorable performance?
“My favourite memory was competing at the 2018 National Championships. Nothing beats the feeling of taking your final bow after skating a clean program.”
Q: What is one major life lesson that you have learned from skating?
“Skating has taught me the importance of resilience. As a skater you are going to take countless falls but what matters that you get back up and keep trying.”
Q: Any advice for young and aspiring skaters?
“Set goals for yourself. It is important to set bigger goals that you can work towards and smaller more realistic ones too.”
Q: What are some of your goals for this season?
“Right now, I am working on a triple-triple combination and maintaining the consistency of my triple jumps.”
Q: What might you be doing if skating didn’t exist?
“If skating didn’t exist, I would continue to do ballet. I have always had a passion for dance and expressing myself artistically.”
Q: Do you have any hobbies outside of skating?
“Outside of skating, I enjoy photography, drawing, and coding. I love being able to express myself through different art forms.”
Q: What are your career goals outside of skating?
“I am currently a senior in high school and plan on going to university to study computer science… I have a passion for programming and technology and want to pursue it beyond high school.”
Ava is also a Girls Who Code club officer.
Q: Where is one place you’ve never been but hope to visit?
“I would love to visit anywhere in Europe.”
What does it mean to you to have a #ChampionshipMindset?
“Having a #ChampionshipMindset means showing true perseverance and dedication by never giving up.”
