Local Skater Wins State Games

By anyone’s description, Grace Coughlin is a heckuva skater, but it’s incredible that her talent and determination is wrapped up in someone so young. Grace is only 10 years old and is a 4^th grader at the . She recently won the State Games in figure skating and will have a chance to compete at the national level in California this summer.

Grace started skating competitively back in Kindergarten, and this year was her second competing in the Mass State Games. She loves the competition. But even more so, she loves the training and long practice that goes into competing at such a high level.

Her workout schedule is five days a week at the . Not only does it include figure skating, but ice dancing, ballet and cardio work as well.

Grace also enjoys playing the violin, spring girl’s lacrosse and is an altar server at the family’s church.

The entire family is an athletic one, her dad Michael plays in a couple of adult hockey leagues, mom Enid was a figure skater herself and her brother Sean (who is 8) is a hockey player in his third year of competitive league play. Sean plays baseball and is a blue belt in tae kwan do.

Grace, while really proud of her win and justifiably excited about it, has her feet already firmly planted on the ground. She never dwells on wins or losses and is as gracious in defeat as in her victories, never failing to congratulate the work of other competitors. By all accounts she carries herself very well and is poised beyond her years.

An example of her poise happened recently. After winning a 3^rd place medal down in Providence, she was invited to the Regional competition in Connecticut. Grace forgot her routine just after it started. But rather than fall apart, she gathered herself and made up a routine as she went along. Skating with the music and letting her instincts take over.

Her performance was good for 2^nd place. Afterwards, she told her mother that “it seemed like the routine was taking forever." She told her mother later that the made up routine was a fluke and she needs to be better prepared in the future. Maybe she should coach some pro athletes…

Grace and her family will be traveling to San Diego, Aug. 4 through 7, to take part in the Nationals and to compete with some of the finest skaters in the country. Something tells us that she won’t be intimidated by this at all.