Sophomore Rafaella Koncius brings heat to ice rink
Sophomore Raffaella Koncius’s figure skating career began at the age of five when she attended a friend’s birthday party at the ice skating rink Skating Edge.
“As soon as I stepped on the ice, I [knew] I had to be a figure skater,” Koncius said.
Once she decided to begin skating, she took classes to learn basic skills, such as how to stop, how to avoid falling and how to glide on one foot. While skating, Koncius was inspired by the veteran skaters who practiced at her rink.
As her skills improved, she began competing and has been for ten years now. From the time she attended her first competition, the Spring Fling at the Toyota Sports Center, she has been to Italy, and many places around the country, including Arizona and Colorado, to compete. Although she has skated around the world, she mainly competes in California.
“Competing is definitely my favorite [part of figure skating],” Koncius said. “You [feel] joy when you skate well performing in front of a crowd of a hundred. [I also like] the really pretty dresses and it is just amazing.”
Koncius has reached many milestones through figure skating. She was a member of National Showcase, a national team that does theatrical performances on ice. She is currently a member of the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club and has won numerous awards, one of which is the Barbara Roles Award, which she received for winning a juvenile ladies’ competition in Las Vegas against 12 other skaters.
Koncius dedicates a large amount of time to figure skating, as she skates seven days a week, three hours each day and does three one-hour work-outs each week. Also, she prepares for an annual theatrical performance on Saturdays. This year, the group is performing “Peter Pan.”
When creating a routine, Koncius starts by choosing her own music, then her coaches, Jere Michael and Alex Chang, choreograph the routine. Each routine is around three minutes long and includes three to seven jumps and three spins.
“My favorite jump is probably my double flip and my favorite spin is my layback,” Koncius said. “Although I have not competed it yet, my favorite routine is probably the one I am doing this year because it is really fun.”
Koncius is hoping to reach national and international competitions in ice dancing or free skating, and plans to become a figure skating coach after college.
“[Figure skating] has helped me in a lot of ways,” Koncius said. “I have been really independent and I have to [manage] my own schedules. I was home-schooled for four years, so I know how to work on my own and with other people. It has taught me how to work hard and be dedicated, and how to really focus when things are going tough.”
