A Bittersweet Ending- Haydenettes

After our great short performance, we were more than prepared to take charge in our Lady Gaga long program.

Our official practice was in the early afternoon on Friday. We came into the arena confident and ready to put our long program on the World stage. Our practice was solid, but not perfect. We had small mistakes that were simple to fix in preparation for the evening. Shortly after our practice we had video review. Saga reminded us of the important technical details we had to focus on come that evening. We were prepared, and we could not wait to put it all out on the ice.

Preparing for this performance was bittersweet. As we did our hair and makeup, we became excited to skate, but we also remembered that this was our last performance as a team. This team is very close, and we all love our Lady Gaga program. We were ready to make this the best program we have ever skated.

As we put on our Lady Gaga dresses, we put on our “poker faces” and got ready to become “little monsters.” As we prepared to enter the ice, Saga reminded us to remain calm. She knew that we were capable. We all knew that this program had the potential to amaze. We just had to do exactly what we did at every practice.

We stepped out on the ice and were overwhelmed with the support from the audience. Special thanks to our parents and the Crystallettes for the USA cheers! This last boost of confidence is exactly what we needed as we took our opening pose.

We put out an extremely strong program and had the time ofour lives. One the best parts about this sport is the moment when the program ends. In this moment, the 16 of us are united and unstoppable. Pride overwhelms our hearts. This is exactly how we felt after our long program skate. We could not have been more proud of what we had accomplished, no matter the score outcome.

Our performance led us to a silver medal in long, and a bronze medal overall. We were ecstatic with our skates and the result. We send our congratulations to Team Sweden 1 and Team Canada 1! The skating at this championship was outstanding, and we were honored to be part of it.

After awards, our parents threw us a party and we were able to celebrate with them. As many of us live away from home, this time was very special. Saga presented us with our small medal, and spoke to our success. She then said her farewell, as she was headed home to Finland the next morning. We were happy to see her take a break and spend time with her family, as well.

This experience was one of the most humbling of our careers. Standing next to 60 of the world’s best athletes at awards made us realize how truly special this sport and this team is. The Haydenettes are thankful of all that have supported us, not only within our Hayden organization, but also around the country. This has been an outstanding season for all. The 2012-2013 season is fast approaching, and we are excited to get back to work!

Tessa and Audrey