Northbrook Synchronized Skaters Set To Represent USA In Sweden

NORTHBROOK, IL — Set to compete as part of Team USA at next month's World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships, local athletes Hannah Yang and Emma Martinelli are thankful for getting their starts in Northbrook and the North Shore.

"Northbrook's supportive and motivating community has really allowed me to pursue all of my dreams I have had since starting skating at the age of 7 at the Northbrook Park District's Skate and Dance camp," Yang, a senior at Glenbrook North, recently told Patch.

Martinelli, also a GBN senior, said without the annual Northbrook-On-Ice show, she would've never tried skating.

"I started skating at age 3 after seeing my mother perform in the show as an alumni Icette," Martinelli said. "Ever since then, I have the Northbrook skating community to thank for keeping me involved for so long and giving me all of the friends and supporters I have had throughout the years."

The synchronized skating pair has been training for the upcoming U.S. Figure Skating Championships Feb. 26-27 in Colorado Springs, where they are the defending champions. Before the completion, Yang and Martinelli are set to perform Friday at a skating exhibition at the Northbrook Sports Center.

"The great thing about the exhibition is that all of the different skill levels will be skating, so it's cool to see where young skaters start compared to where they can end up and every level in between," Martinelli said. "It reminds me of how all of us at the qualifying levels of the sport worked on developing our skills each year from a young age to get where we are now."

The show is free and open to the public, starting at 6:45 p.m. and running until 9 p.m. The Junior team will skate their "Black Swan" program toward the end of the exhibition, and then there will be a short "Senior Night" presentation for the skaters who are graduating from high school this year, which will include Yang and Martinelli.

Synchronized skating, often referred to as Synchro, is one of the fastest growing disciplines of figure skating. It combines the athleticism and artistry of singles, pairs and ice dancing and adds the complexity of 16 skaters moving as a flowing unit at high speed over the ice, while completing complicated footwork, jumps, spins and intersecting and connected elements. It is a highly technical form of team skating characterized by speed, power, accuracy, presentation and intricate formations.

"Synchronized skating takes a lot of trust from your teammates," Yang said. "We often talk with each other before and during practices to reassure that every single one of us will put in our maximum effort for everything we do. Knowing that there are 19 other skaters who are as motivated as you are really makes practices a positive environment even when the work is tough. Unlike singles skating, you have others to lean on for support and to connect with during the program."

The duo have skated for Northbrook-based Teams Elite Synchronized Skating Club for nine and 10 years. Teams Elite Junior has been representing U.S. Figure Skating's Team USA this season and earned gold medals at two international competitions that are part of the International Skating Union's Challenger Series. These results have earned them the top ranking in the world at the Junior Synchronized Skating level. The trip to Sweden is the result of countless hours of hard work and dedication.

"Finding out about being selected to compete at Worlds in Sweden was super exciting because it's such a big accomplishment that not a lot of people ever get to claim," Martinelli said. "It really goes to show how much work everyone on the team has put in to get us to where we are today."

Together, Yang and Martinelli have competed 10 seasons in synchronized skating with Teams Elite, earning a total of nine consecutive national championship titles at the juvenile, intermediate, novice and junior levels. They have a lot of hardware in their bedrooms. According to their parents, "they have a lot of hardware in their bedrooms."

Yang and Martinelli have made many sacrifices in their dedication to their athletic and academic goals and have achieved great results. In addition to the 14 to 16 hours of weekly team training practices, the two also train on their own and with private coaches three to five hours a week.

"Balancing being gone for skating and school work is difficult," Yang said. "But, openly communicating with my teachers and planning ahead helps a lot. After graduation, I will go to college and continue skating individually."

Yang and Martinelli skate as a part of Northbrook on Ice's Icette team, as well as the GBN Spartan Skaters. Both girls will be featured in May's 55th annual Northbrook-On-Ice show as soloists, Icettes and graduating seniors at Northbrook Sports Center during Mother's Day weekend