I can’t even remember the first time I got inspired for anything skating connected. I remember how I started though.

I must have been 5^th grade or something when in English class we had a lesson in the book that had a picture of rollerblades somewhere there in the pages. I was never into sports but that seemed like an interesting idea to me so soon after that I got my first rollerblades. Fitness ones that were at least one size bigger than mine. So when I started rollerblading I was only going forward and didn’t even have the idea to attempt anything else. For some years I was only skating on the balcony of my house still not doing anything. One day I watched the movie “Ice princess” and I thought: Hm, what if some figure skating moves are possible even on rollerblades. So I started doing some stuff. Learned the spiral, learned the waltz jump and some simple footwork. But that was as far it went back then. There was no other place to skate but my balcony. Then I went to visit some friends of mine in the capital of my country /the only place with big indoor rinks/ and 2 days before my 17^th birthday they took me ice skating for the very first time. It was the best present ever. And with the help of the rollerblade practicing the first time I went ice skating ever was also the first time I did a spiral on the ice. It came just like that, like the most natural thing. A month later when it was already December a small outdoor rink was made in my hometown and it was the best thing ever. It was tiny, with very bad ice all the time but I was happy. I even got my first figure skates. I started watching videos in youtube so that I could learn some moves on my own. I became one of the best skaters in my hometown and it felt great. I was still at a very beginner level but since there was no rink for years there, people didn’t know how to skate. I was even invited to do a “short” performance (10 min) for the opening of the rink. A few months later I was introduced to the first ever amateur figure skating competition in my country which was held again in the capital – Sofia. It was a fun experience but it was my first time skating on a glassy, smooth ice. And I had only six minutes to get used to it. Definitely not enough so I screwed it up a little bit. I did pretty bad – I was 18 out of 20. But I was like the only girl that never took any lessons. All the others were living in the capital and were a part of a skating club. So far so good. Next year /2008-2009/ they made an outdoor tiny rink again and it was the first time I figured out the scratch spin, started doing some sit spins and learned the salchow. I went to this amateur competition again and this time I was 6 out of 10. I did pretty badly again and I was very sad for not doing exactly what I had in mind but went home with good memories. This year I got accepted in New Bulgarian University which is situated in Sofia so I am now blessed with the opportunity to skate on a big rink with smooth ice. There are compulsory sport activities in the university so I chose figure skating and am having lessons once every week. Sometimes I go to the other rink that gives lessons to amateurs but it is too far away.

     Anyway…I love figure skating and everything connected to it. I hope that now I can improve faster and maybe win a medal from one of the upcoming competitions.