Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010

Teens win bronze at nationals

For Kay Bergdolt and Miles Addison, the years of 5 a.m. wake-up calls and working hard in a cold ice skating rink finally paid off when they won a bronze medal in pairs skating in the 2010 U.S. Junior Nationals Ice Skating Championships in Strongsville, Ohio on Dec. 19.

Although both admit their skating wasn't up to their own high standards that day, they are excited about winning their first medal in national competition.

"It wasn't our best-ever skate," Miles said. "I just thought, 'Well, let's just see how it goes.' I saw our points were high, and I was surprised, but that's when I thought we'd have a chance to medal."

Two other local skaters won recognition at the Junior Nationals. Ana Draovitch, 13, of Cary finished 16th in the final round, intermediate women, and Balazs Nagy, 11, of Cary finished 11th in a preliminary round for juvenile boys.

Miles, 15, a student at Enloe High School, also swims for his Eagles team. That, coupled with a sophomore's workload and his strict skating regimen, keeps him busy.

"Every day it's a challenge to wake up at 5 a.m.," he said. "And then I go nonstop throughout the day."

He skates before and after school. Then there's swim practice and weight training in the gym. He has to maintain strong muscles to execute tricky lifts and throws he performs with Kay, his skating partner.

Kay, 13, has been skating since she was five years old. She lives in Midtown Raleigh and is an eighth-grader at Cary Academy. Miles has been her only pairs partner, and by all accounts, they are a perfect match.

Kay is 5 feet 2 inches tall, and Miles has recently reached the 6-foot mark.

"When we started skating together, Miles was about 5'1," Kay said. "He grew like three inches in three months."

With his new height, he has increased strength and uses it to lift Kay in increasingly complicated moves.

"I'm never scared when he lifts me, unless he wobbles a little bit," Kay said.

Kay's grandmother introduced her to skating when she was 3.

"Every Christmas my grandma took me to Disney on Ice, and I told my grandmother I wanted to be a skater," Kay said.

Miles was a too-energetic three-year-old when his mother, Polly Addison, introduced him to ice skating.

"Miles was just a little thing when he started," Addison said. "I would take him to ice skate on rainy days so he could burn off energy; one thing led to another, and there you go."

He was never interested in playing hockey; instead, he focused on figure skating.

"Ice skating is a challenge, mentally. You work it out through your head and go through the moves. There are frustrating days, and then you get it," he said. "It also teaches life lessons like never giving up and staying positive."

Miles' growth spurt during his early teens has forced changes in his workout regimen.

"Getting strong has been hard. My muscles have been growing, and that has been taking away from my endurance, so I have had to work on that," he said.

He took up swimming to increase his endurance and because his brothers swam on Enloe's storied swim team.

"I'm carrying on the family swimming tradition," he said. "But I knew swimming would help my training, and I enjoy the sport and the friends I have on the swim team."

Both kids are realistic about any hopes for Olympic glory.

"If I ever made it to the Olympics, I would be very happy, but I know that's pretty hard to do," Kay said. "If nothing else, I would like to coach someday."

Miles wants to perform.

"I would like to travel around the world performing in ice shows," he said.

He's getting plenty of performance time. Lately, Miles has been channeling the character Buzz Lightyear in the Raleigh Winterfest, on behalf of the Skating Club of North Carolina.

Ice skating may not be the most sought-after sport for high school students. Miles and Kay don't care.

Every day brings a new accomplishment and a new challenge to overcome, and that is exciting.