Within the second article of our New Workforce Collection, we examine in with Cayla Cottrell & Uladzislau (Vlad) Palkhouski, who’re within the second yr of their partnership. Cottrell & Palkhouski are coached by Marina Zoueva, Johnny Johns, Ilya Tkachenko, and Yelena Sokolova they usually practice on the Worldwide Skating Academy on the Hertz Enviornment in Florida. They just lately debuted their new packages on the 2022 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships the place they completed fifth.
Cayla: I began skating via the study to skate program at a rink in Colorado, and from there I began doing pairs at age eight. I ultimately discovered my true ardour was ice dance and have been doing that ever since.
Vlad: I began skating very younger, so I don’t actually keep in mind a lot. However I competed for Belarus with my earlier accomplice Emiliya Kalehanova for six seasons. And now I stay up for competing with Cayla this yr for the second season.
What drew you to ice dance?
Cayla: The inventive expression, the intricate parts, and the power to convey a narrative via dance with a accomplice.
Vlad: The fantastic thing about this sport, the spirit of rivalry, choreography and the complexity of the weather.
What are your earliest skating recollections?
Cayla: I first was drawn to skating once I was seven, as a result of I needed to see the fish nonetheless swimming below the ice/pond. And after stepping on the ice, I instantly fell in love with the game.
Vlad: I began determine skating once I was 5, I don’t actually have any early skating recollections.
Inform us about how your partnership began (tryout, and so on.)?
The start of our partnership and tryouts was a troublesome one. We initially tried to schedule a tryout in July of 2020. Sadly, that was proper throughout the top of pandemic in addition to civil unrest in Vlad’s dwelling nation. So we had been unable to really have a tryout till December of 2020 in Belarus. After our tryout we each realized we needed to type a partnership. Nonetheless, due to the continuation of the journey ban, Vlad was not in a position to receive a visa and journey to america till August of 2021.
It was then we shortly put our packages collectively, and ended up competing within the 2021/22 U.S. Nationwide Qualifying Collection and ultimately ended our first season by putting eleventh in Senior Ice Dance on the 2022 U.S. Determine Skating Championships.
Inform us about your coaching challenges throughout the pandemic.
Cayla: For the security of everybody our rink closed down throughout the pandemic for roughly three months. Throughout that point I labored out at dwelling on-line with my private trainers. And was fortunate sufficient to buy some curler blades with Edea boots so I might take my canine operating up and down my neighborhood streets.
Vlad: I used to be caught in my dwelling nation, I couldn’t get to america, and at dwelling there have been additionally issues there: the ice schedule and the variety of coaching periods had been restricted.
What do you want most about skating together with your accomplice?
Cayla: The factor I like most about skating with Vlad is his aggressive spirit, and our comparable targets to constantly enhance ourselves as a crew. I recognize his energy and willpower.
Vlad: Most of all in my accomplice’s skating, I like her endurance and resilience. I like that she is an open-minded individual, and isn’t afraid to attempt one thing new.
What are you trying most ahead to this season?
This season we’re trying ahead to enhancing our total high quality and abilities.
