CHICAGO: Ami Parekh, a young Indian figure skater born here but holding dual citizenship letting her represent India at the international events, has performed remarkably well at the recent figure skating competition held in Sofia, Bulgaria, being placed a close fifth in the long program.
For the first time in this sport, India and Ami Parekh have come close to the podium. She scored 124.86 points, which has qualified India for the 2014 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taipei, Taiwan. This championship includes all of the best skaters from every continent, except Europe. She plans to perform to Shankar Jaikishan’s Raga Jazz in the short program and ballet on ice on Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu in the long program.
Her performance in this country is exemplary. A double gold medalist in Freestyle and Moves-in-the-Field she will soon earn her third USFS gold medal in Ice Dancing. She was awarded a trophy in 2001 by US Figure Skating for winning two consecutive North Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships, which involved competitions from figure skaters in NY, NJ, and CT. This trophy is sitting in the US Figure Skating Headquarters museum in Colorado Spring.
In a talk to this paper, Ami said that she wanted to raise awareness for her favorite sport in India and put the Indian arts on international ice. She was the first to represent India in World Figure Skating Championships in 2007. She performed to various Indian themes including Bollywood, Yoga and Bharatanatyam on ice.
She has competed in many a country like Oslo in Norway, Colorado Springs and Salt Lake City in USA, Tokyo and Osaka in Japan, The Hague in Netherlands, Nice in France, Zagreb in Croatia; Oberstdorf and Dortmund in Germany and Sofia in Bulgaria. Whenever in India, she participated in the Indian National Championships, performed shows as well as taught in camps in Calcutta, Mumbai, Gulmarg, New Delhi, Simla and Dehradun. She was ranked in the top 110 in world figure skating but her ranking dropped when she took time off due to injury.
Ami, says her single parent Mom Asha Mehta, was home schooled. She helped home school her brother Amar too who has also earned name as a figure skater. Amar, pointed out Asha, is at present focusing on his final year of college at Northwestern University. He is a USFS double gold medalist and ice dancer and was the first man to represent India at the Junior World Championships in Germany.
Ami, added her mother, has not lagged behind academically because of her interest in figure skating. She graduated from University of Pennsylvania in neuroscience and competed at US National Vocabulary, US National Brain, and did well at US National Spelling Bees as well.
She wished she could have more than 24 hours in a day. To support her training she works two part time jobs and teaches skating. She is out working, coaching, and training from 5 am until 8 pm Monday through Saturday. Besides, she participates in national Indian events organized by Indian American community, time permitting.
She attended India Day parades organized by FIA and was an instant celebrity by herself. In fact, she was invited as VIP and honored with award for excellence and accomplishments in an adventurous sport of figure skating in 33rd annual day parade in New York. After competing this season with flying colors, she will be joining medical school most likely in Chicago area.
Ramesh Soparawala
India Post News Service
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