Perhaps you’ve seen her in class, studying hard for the next AP Lit MCQ. Or maybe you’ll recognize her from her energized dancing on the football sidelines. Who am I talking about? Resilient student and epic member of the Westmont dance team, Kaitlynn Wu! However, what you might not know is she also spends much of her time on the rink as a figure skater. From beautiful axels to dizzying spins, Wu lights up both the ice and the stage with her dazzling talent.
What is one unexpected thing that ice skating/dancing has brought into your life that you are grateful for?
An unexpected thing ice skating has brought into my life is being able to turn my hobby of creating choreography into a potential career. Right now, I am choreographing programs for students and friends and have competed at nationals with a program I choreographed myself.
For dancing, I am so grateful for my bond with my teammates. Working hard and sharing laughs at practice reignited my passion for dance. From being inspired by my upperclassmen as a freshman, and now passing on my knowledge to my underclassmen feels really full circle
What moment(s) are you most proud of? Why?
Skating: I’m super proud of getting to compete at nationals with a program I choreographed myself and achieving a personal best score there!
Dance: I am so proud to be part of the development of the Westmont dance team. This year, we went to nationals for the first time and it was an unforgettable experience.
Are you superstitious? If so, what is one thing you have to do before competing?
I don’t think I am superstitious, but a competition tradition I have for ice skating is having someone else clip the last button of my costume. For dance, we always circle up and have a pep talk before competing (Daisy Gant gives the best pre-competition motivation speeches).
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who also wants to do skating/dancing?
A piece of advice I’d give is to not compare yourself with others (especially to people who started the sport earlier than you). Taking inspiration is great, but you should track your personal progress from competition results rather than looking at rankings.
Have you ever experienced any mental roadblocks/challenges in general, and if you have, how did you overcome them?
I’ve faced the mental roadblock of losing my passion for both ice skating and dance from 8th grade to freshman year. For me, my friends in the sport really helped me persevere through the challenge and supported me through my mental roadblock. I also took a break and lowered my practice hours for both sports, and I think this helped me shift my mindset into skating and dancing for myself and truly enjoying it.
How have you managed the stress that comes with being a student athlete?
Being a student athlete, time management is super important. I’m always busy, but I feel it is better that way as I have less time to procrastinate. I skate in the mornings before school and go to dance practice and do homework after school. To manage my time wisely, I ask friends to keep me accountable with homework and study sessions.
Where is your favorite place ice skating/dancing has taken you? Why?
I went to Michigan for figure skating nationals last year and took a trip to Chicago with my family after!