She's been skating since she was three; competing since the age of eight, started coaching at three clubs just this year and at the ripe old age of 16, Madisyn Unger of Humboldt, came home from the Jean Norman figure skating competition held March 1-3 in Saskatoon the most decorated SkateHumboldt skater.
"This was my fourth time at Jean Norman," said Unger. "I medalled the first time, was violently ill the second time, and during my third time, I was on the ice for warmup and not 30 seconds in, I broke my wrist."
Unger's fourth trip would be the charm. Her first event, Junior Bronze spins hit the ice early Friday afternoon.
Spinning is Unger's favourite element to perform and she explained at her level, she must do three different types including a one-position spin, a combination spin and a flying-entry spin. Competitors are judged on how strong they hold their position in the spin, how many rotations they perform and the flow between the spins.
With half the ice surface to work with, the skaters have to have a plan ahead of time and most spin competitors take about one minute, but the time is not set as the number of rotations will determine the length of the music-less program.
"It took about two hours to get the results," said Unger. "They were posted on the hockey side of the arena so I had to keep going over there to check. When I saw that I had finished third, I was really excited because Jean Norman is such a big competition that I really wasn't expecting anything."
Unger received a bronze medal for her efforts.
Friday night, she was back on the ice competing in elements.
"It's essentially a short program with no music," she said. "There are five required elements and you get to use the entire ice surface."
Competing against 11 other girls in her flight, Unger came off the ice feeling good.
"I knew I had a good skate," she commented.
Forty-five minutes later she learned how good it was when the results were posted and she was in the top spot.
"My mom jumped when I told her," smiled Unger. "My coach Chantel Norman was pretty excited too!"
With a bronze and a gold medal in her possession, Unger's next turn on the ice was late Sunday afternoon.
Third last in her flight of 11 skaters, Unger maintained one of her very few rituals which is not to watch any of the skaters before her.
"I don't get nervous," she said. "Competing comes fairly naturally for me. But I do visualize beforehand in order to remember what I have to do."
Her 2.10 minute free skate program set to a song from the movie "Chicago" included the required seven jumps, three spins and a spiral sequence.
"I had a pretty good start but I didn't think my combination spin was very good," she recalled. "I went into a jump, landed it and the program just flowed from there.
Off the ice, Unger felt pretty good but still had to wait for three more competitors and the time it would take the judges to post the results.
"The results went up right outside my dressing room," she said. "So I knew almost right away when they were posted."
Out she went and there in the top spot for the free skate was her name.
"I went over and told my dad and two brothers, they acted surprised even though they had already looked," she said.
"I needed someone to be surprised, so I made them stay to one side when I told mom, who had been watching some of the other Humboldt skaters," she smiled.
Unger got the reaction she was looking for when she relayed the news to her mom that she had won her second gold of the competition, thus medalling in all three of her events.
Unger and her skating clubmates are wrapping up their season. There is one more test day at the end of March before they hang up their blades.
