Page 53 - Club Braman Magazine_Fall-Winter.22

Though admittedly not as naturally
coordinated as some others,
Elena was singularly focused and
intensely motivated in the pursuit
of her new craft. Her family soon
recognized her obvious gift, and
ultimately decided to move to
the unfamiliar, frigid, and rural
environment of Lake Placid,
New York. Though not a tourist
hotspot, the upstate community
is best known for playing host to
the 1980 Winter Olympics—and
has remained an internationally-
recognized competitive figure
skating training epicenter since.

Over the next several years Elena
would rise to a Senior ranking,
the highest possible. At 16, she
was recruited, and subsequently
qualified as the first Olympic
figure skater to represent her
home country of Venezuela—an
inconceivable dream come true.

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