Gliding on a rink of frozen water, twirling, jumping, balancing on one foot, and going backwards in the frosty environment, too excited to notice how cold it is is part of what ice  skating is about. Maybe this is why seventh grader Katie Wah loves to skate. When she was 3 years old, Katie's mom said she should try ice skating. After she did, Katie was hooked. Ever since, she has skated her way to victory.

    Katie practices 9 hours a week, 5 days a week. On weekdays, Katie wakes up early in the morning and skates for 2 hours before going to school. She competes once every 4-6 months and doesn't get under second place; in fact, she usually comes in first.

    After some hesitation on deciding what her favorite tricks were, Katie said, "I like doing a double toe-loop spin and a layback." She manages to balance her schoolwork and skating by getting on the ice in the morning and doing her homework at night. "[Ice-skating is] independent, but at the same time it's still a good way to hang out with friends," she stated.