Figure skater and Parkview scholar, Karen Lee, qualifies for Nationals

Parkview School is home to many figure skaters; one in particular is seventh grader Karen Lee. Karen has been skating for four years, starting at eight years old (which is considered late by skating standards). She skates six days a week beginning at 5:30 a.m. each morning. Twice a week she takes jump and fitness workout classes, along with a once a week dance class. This doesn’t include all the at home stretching and leg exercises she must do to stay limber. This diligence and hard work paid off recently as Karen qualified for Nationals, and competed in Minnesota against 11 others at her level from across the nation.

The road to Nationals wasn’t easy, as Karen had to qualify in Regional and Sectional competitions. A skater has to score in the top four to qualify for the next competition. Karen did this all the while nursing a leg injury. She competed in 10 competitions last season prior to qualifying for Nationals. There are five qualifying levels at Nationals: Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, Junior and Senior. Karen qualified for Juvenile.

Each year when competition season begins, every skater starts off their season hoping to qualify for Nationals. Although there are often injuries, tears and heartbreaks along the way, this young scholar achieved the first step towards her goal of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team.

Karen’s optimism and persistence is not only evident in her skating, but in her schoolwork as well. She’s a conscientious student, taking honors language arts and higher level math classes.

Bravo Karen!