Mystique vs Skeleton
Donation protected
Everything happens for a reason. The paths life takes us on are detours necessary to acquire special skill sets to be prepared for tasks and challenges we will later face down the road.
Well my journey started back at the end of my seventh grade school year. I failed to make the middle school soccer team and was upset I wasn’t able to participate in any club sports for the duration of that season or the following. So when summer was knocking on our doorstep my dad bluntly said, “Your running form sucks...you need to go to that running camp down at the local high school”. Oddly offended by the randomness of this remark, I signed up for this track camp with zero expectations of enjoying it, but hoping I would learn something of value. The 2007 summer track camp hosted by Brentsville District high school changed my life. This camp exposed its participants to the diverse world of track and field. Participants were broken down into small groups where we cycled around stations trying different events to see what we liked. The coaches found out quick I had a little speed in my legs and put me in several relays throughout the week long camp.
That following school year I tried out and made the track team where we completed the season undefeated.
I continued track in highschool trying new events, setting school records and getting featured in the local press. But the pinnacle moment in my high school career as a track and field athlete was winning the state title in the 300m hurdles my junior year of high school.
With a built up resume full of my own personal stats I sought,out potential colleges and universities who were looking for my particular skill sets. I came across a little D2 private school in Charlotte North Carolina called Queens University. I emailed the coach and scheduled a tour of the campus in the fall after my high school graduation. Come January 2013, I was one of the newest members of the Royals community. My time as a Royal tested my motivation and drive for excellence not only in competition but in the classroom and beyond. I trained daily with a team of talented individuals who pushed me to perform at my best and under a coach who encouraged me to perform for my team. For four years I proudly wore our navy and white jersey. My career highlights with the Royals ended with three school records, an NCAA appearance, NCAA All Academic Award for my senior year and the ultimate preparation for the next chapter of my life.
Following my final season of collegiate track and field my head coach reached out to me and asked if I would consider trying out for the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation at a local combine. With nothing to lose I registered online and set the date in my calendar. The day of I arrived an hour or so early to warm up. As other athletes trickled in, the coaches started to round us up to explain how the testing would go. As the coaches explained how each test was to be executed, I began to realize that this was the exact same template my college coach used to test his sprinters and jumpers during the preseason. I was already prepared.
Over the course of the three categories I had scored 494 pts. However the automatic invite to go to the Rookie Push Championships was a minimum of 500pts. I was thoroughly disappointed. I waited the summer out for the official invites for the non-automatic qualifiers to be issued. One morning late in July I was on my way to work when I got that call. Ecstatic I prepared for the next round of competition. Rookie Push Champs brought me to Upstate New York, Lake Placid. During that week long camp I learned the basics of the sport of skeleton and how to load a sled with a “running’ start. At the end of the week, I competed and finished top three in the women’s skeleton competition. This earned me another invite back to Lake Placid late in the year to attend Skeleton Driving School. My attendance and progress here helped prepare me for training and late competition in March of 2017.
While at the time he didn’t know it, my father was helping me seek out a skill set that would help me in the long term of my athletic endeavors. The sports may have changed over time, but the paths which I have taken have finally brought me here. I can’t help but believe that I was meant to be here in the sport of skeleton. Time worked in my favor, helping me harness my speed, master my coordination and improve my explosive power.
While I am preparing physically and mentally for the sliding to come, I will be needing the support of others around me. This sport is an investment and requires a huge commitment of time, travel and equipment. I work part-time to fund my training, but I can’t do this alone. I ask that you join me in my quest for the colorful rings as I put my training to the ultimate test!
This journey has been long and hard, but it will continue into the future, down the icy slopes.
Thank you in advance!
Best,
Mystique
2016 Rookie Push Championships
Skeleton Driving School 2016 w/ International athletes
Women Rookie Class of 2016 & our Advisor
National Push Championships 2017
Well my journey started back at the end of my seventh grade school year. I failed to make the middle school soccer team and was upset I wasn’t able to participate in any club sports for the duration of that season or the following. So when summer was knocking on our doorstep my dad bluntly said, “Your running form sucks...you need to go to that running camp down at the local high school”. Oddly offended by the randomness of this remark, I signed up for this track camp with zero expectations of enjoying it, but hoping I would learn something of value. The 2007 summer track camp hosted by Brentsville District high school changed my life. This camp exposed its participants to the diverse world of track and field. Participants were broken down into small groups where we cycled around stations trying different events to see what we liked. The coaches found out quick I had a little speed in my legs and put me in several relays throughout the week long camp.
That following school year I tried out and made the track team where we completed the season undefeated.
I continued track in highschool trying new events, setting school records and getting featured in the local press. But the pinnacle moment in my high school career as a track and field athlete was winning the state title in the 300m hurdles my junior year of high school.
With a built up resume full of my own personal stats I sought,out potential colleges and universities who were looking for my particular skill sets. I came across a little D2 private school in Charlotte North Carolina called Queens University. I emailed the coach and scheduled a tour of the campus in the fall after my high school graduation. Come January 2013, I was one of the newest members of the Royals community. My time as a Royal tested my motivation and drive for excellence not only in competition but in the classroom and beyond. I trained daily with a team of talented individuals who pushed me to perform at my best and under a coach who encouraged me to perform for my team. For four years I proudly wore our navy and white jersey. My career highlights with the Royals ended with three school records, an NCAA appearance, NCAA All Academic Award for my senior year and the ultimate preparation for the next chapter of my life.
Following my final season of collegiate track and field my head coach reached out to me and asked if I would consider trying out for the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Federation at a local combine. With nothing to lose I registered online and set the date in my calendar. The day of I arrived an hour or so early to warm up. As other athletes trickled in, the coaches started to round us up to explain how the testing would go. As the coaches explained how each test was to be executed, I began to realize that this was the exact same template my college coach used to test his sprinters and jumpers during the preseason. I was already prepared.
Over the course of the three categories I had scored 494 pts. However the automatic invite to go to the Rookie Push Championships was a minimum of 500pts. I was thoroughly disappointed. I waited the summer out for the official invites for the non-automatic qualifiers to be issued. One morning late in July I was on my way to work when I got that call. Ecstatic I prepared for the next round of competition. Rookie Push Champs brought me to Upstate New York, Lake Placid. During that week long camp I learned the basics of the sport of skeleton and how to load a sled with a “running’ start. At the end of the week, I competed and finished top three in the women’s skeleton competition. This earned me another invite back to Lake Placid late in the year to attend Skeleton Driving School. My attendance and progress here helped prepare me for training and late competition in March of 2017.
While at the time he didn’t know it, my father was helping me seek out a skill set that would help me in the long term of my athletic endeavors. The sports may have changed over time, but the paths which I have taken have finally brought me here. I can’t help but believe that I was meant to be here in the sport of skeleton. Time worked in my favor, helping me harness my speed, master my coordination and improve my explosive power.
While I am preparing physically and mentally for the sliding to come, I will be needing the support of others around me. This sport is an investment and requires a huge commitment of time, travel and equipment. I work part-time to fund my training, but I can’t do this alone. I ask that you join me in my quest for the colorful rings as I put my training to the ultimate test!
This journey has been long and hard, but it will continue into the future, down the icy slopes.
Thank you in advance!
Best,
Mystique
2016 Rookie Push Championships
Skeleton Driving School 2016 w/ International athletes
Women Rookie Class of 2016 & our Advisor
National Push Championships 2017
Organizer
Mystique Ro
Organizer
Fredericksburg, VA
