With every sport comes competition. Whether it's qualifying, placing or winning and losing, there is always an inevitable comparison between contenders. Unsurprisingly, a competitive drive is a must for most professionally athletes. But for U.S. ice dancers
Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter, the main motivation is love.
"We don't focus on the medals or on the placement," Carpenter said matter-of-factly. "We just focus on how much we love skating and performing."
Now in their second year of senior competitions, McNamara and Carpenter explained how they've learned to leverage their love for skating to improve their performances.
"In the past, I found that when I become too focused on medals, I would get bummed out easier or more worked up," said Carpenter. "When I skate because I like to, its easier to stay happy."
After placing fourth at their first Grand Prix of the season at
Skate America, McNamara and Carpenter embraced this positive attitude as they prepared for their second Grand Prix of the season at the Helsinki Grand Prix of Figure Skating.
"Even though we didn't make the podium, we still had really great performances there," Carpenter said, referring to their outing in Everett, Washington. "We went home, adjusted all the minor changes we needed to make, and really tried to ride the wave we were already on."
In Helsinki, Finland, the team did just that.
They executed their rhythm dance to "Desde el Alma" and "Quejumbroso" by Orquestra Color Tango de Roberto Alvarez with precision and grace, ending the segment in third place with 71.40 points. Combined with their score of 105.26 in the free dance, McNamara and Carpenter secured their very first Grand Prix medal with 176.66 points.
While the two admit that the accolade is exciting and gratifying, they prefer to use the bronze medal as a marker for improvement, rather than as a trophy.
"Our jump from junior into senior gave us a lot of new exposure and experience," remarked McNamara, as she reflected on their career thus far. "We learned a lot and grew a lot, and I think we took that growth into this season."
"Of course we want to make the World Team if we can by the end of the season," said Carpenter. "But it's not something we really focus on too much during competition."
"I think as it is in every competition, it's another chance to show our improvement," McNamara said. "The more competitions we do, the more we are able to expand the programs and perform at greater level."
The Maryland-based team followed up their bronze at Helsinki with the silver medal at the 2018 Alpen Trophy, proving that McNamara and Carpenter's passion for the sport has only worked in their favor.
"We, as a team, find that we're most successful when we skate for the right reasons," Carpenter said.
"By the end of the season, we want to show that we are comparable to the top teams," McNamara added. "We want to be a top team, and show that we are not only at that level, but that we're something to contend with."
