A champion at 14!

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Last Saturday, Fourteen-year old Mirai Nagasu became the second youngest woman to win the U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The ninth grader from Arcadia, California who won the title in the Juniors category last year (at thirteen), is the first skater since 1938 to win the junior and senior title back to back.

Mirai's passion for ice-skating began at the age of five, when her parents took her ice skating on a rainy day. She has been hooked since.

Her day begins at 5.00 am in the morning. She goes to skate practice from 6.00 - 8.00 am and then to school until 3.00pm. After tackling her homework, she does some exercises that help her skate better.

Nagasu has a very unusual training program, where she trains with not one but six different coaches. She practices different skills with each one of them, which in turn has helped her become a more talented and versatile (all around) ice skater.

Being a Champion on Ice, doesn't mean Mirai slacks off on her schoolwork. She is an honor roll student at Foothills Middle School in Southern California. She loves to hang out with friends, eat spicy and sweet food and watch "America's Next Model" on TV.

We think we are going to see a lot of this amazing young girl in the next few years and wish her the best.

Sources: USAtoday.com

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243 Comments
  • spinnypeeps
    spinnypeepsalmost 10 years
    I used to ice skate before I broke my foot... But I probably wouldn't have gotten that good anyway, good for her!
    • awesomereporter
      awesomereporteralmost 10 years
      I feel sorry for u. I luv ice skating but I don't take any lessons or anything. Free style!!! :-)
      • peacheslarue
        peacheslaruealmost 10 years
        Im srry! i recently stopped ice skating becuase i broke my wrist when i was doing a mohawk! Soon i will b back on da ice!
        • spinnypeeps
          spinnypeepsalmost 10 years
          I feel you. I quit, but I'm glad your wrist is healing!
        • happypug12
          happypug12almost 10 years
          Is ice skating fun, peacheslarue?
          • peacheslarue
            peacheslaruealmost 10 years
            I LUV ice skating! Its amazing!! You should try it happypug! i bet u would be great at it! Just the feeling of gliding across the ice is Amazing! When you first start you get frustrated and feel bad but after a month or two you feel confident! Once me and my lil' sister (you know her already) we went to Millennium Park and they have this outdoor ice rink we went to skate there and it was amazing! (Skating outside is actually more fun inside) Well, you should definetly try it out!
            • awesomereporter
              awesomereporteralmost 10 years
              I AGREE 100%! Ice skating is AWESOME. It's kinda like inline skating, but less rough and MORE fun!!! Try it Out
              • analise
                analisealmost 10 years
                Last time I skated, my skates tore a huge gash in my leg.
                • nikukyu
                  nikukyualmost 10 years
                  Ouch. I hope u feel better.
                  • spinnypeeps
                    spinnypeepsalmost 10 years
                    Okay, so peachlaserue broke her wrist, I broke my foot, analise tore a gash in her leg, and bibliophile twisted her ankle... wow, ice skating is violent!
                    • awesomereporter
                      awesomereporteralmost 10 years
                      Lol. Haha. (^-^)
                      • peacheslarue
                        peacheslaruealmost 10 years
                        I know it really is!? But to me its worth it! But now im kida scared of doing a mohawk! :*)
                      • nikukyu
                        nikukyualmost 10 years
                        Yeah pretty much. And I almost cracked a bone:( I guess all great sports have downsides too! A very famous skater in Japan, ( he won the gold medal in the Sochi Olympics. Guess who he is!) had a bad accident on the ring and critics said that they were crazy for letting him continue skating on the ring:(
                      • happypug12
                        happypug12almost 10 years
                        Yeah, I guess u have to be extra careful when you are Ice Skating . . . Those Ice Skates are sharp!
                    • happypug12
                      happypug12almost 10 years
                      Ouch. I feel your pain, analise.
                      • analise
                        analisealmost 10 years
                        :) Its much better now, but ill be scarred for life.
                      • peacheslarue
                        peacheslaruealmost 10 years
                        Oh. Im srry. :(
                    • spinnypeeps
                      spinnypeepsalmost 10 years
                      I'm not peachleslarue, but to answer your question, it's AWESOME. Just gliding though the ice makes you feel like a graceful snowflake!
                      • nikukyu
                        nikukyualmost 10 years
                        I wish I could ice skate... I went once and I was terrible at it at first, but I got a little better, thank god!
                        • bibliophile
                          bibliophilealmost 10 years
                          Yeahhh it does feel like that...ice skating is cool...it's like dancing and kind of flying in the snow... I used to ice skate too... but then I had to stop since I twisted my ankle... but I like to ice skate for fun now...
                • mandm2000
                  mandm2000almost 10 years
                  I PLAY SOCCER AT FOOTHILLS MIDDLE SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                  • nikukyu
                    nikukyualmost 10 years
                    I love Mao Asada!! She is the best!!!
                    • happypug12
                      happypug12almost 10 years
                      Yeah, she is amazing! I also like her pink dress!
                      • nikukyu
                        nikukyualmost 10 years
                        I'm her biggest fan! People say that I look a little like her, and it makes me so happy:)
                        • peacheslarue
                          peacheslaruealmost 10 years
                          Is she a Japanese figure skater?!
                          • nikukyu
                            nikukyualmost 10 years
                            Yup, she is. She ( in my opinion ) is the most well known figure skater in Japan! She made a looooooot of records:)
                            • peacheslarue
                              peacheslaruealmost 10 years
                              Awesome! Do you know Jason Brown? He was in Winter Olympics last year?
                              • nikukyu
                                nikukyualmost 10 years
                                I don't know him. Is he good?
                                • peacheslarue
                                  peacheslaruealmost 10 years
                                  He was in the last Winter Olympics figure skating for the U.S! My coach's son who was my coach when i was little used to compete wit Jason Brown! He is VERY good! And he has a bronytail (ponytail for a boy)!! He is 20 years old and won 2013 Trophée Éric Bompard bronze medalist, 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy champion, and 2014 U.S. national silver medalist!!
                                • turtlenicole
                                  turtlenicolealmost 10 years
                                  yup!!
                    • figure skateralmost 10 years
                      I am a figure skater too. So I know how it feels when skaters compete and once I got a bronze medal.
                    • Melodyabout 10 years
                      I think kim yuna is better in my opinion but she is good to!!!!!
                      • analise
                        analisealmost 10 years
                        Kim Yuna is better. Maybe im biased cuz im korean
                        • spinnypeeps
                          spinnypeepsalmost 10 years
                          Yeah! Team Yuna, Analise!!!
                          • spinnypeeps
                            spinnypeepsalmost 10 years
                            I'm korean too. I can't believe she didn't win the gold medal before she retired last year!!!
                            • frankiebaby
                              frankiebabyalmost 10 years
                              In a way, you're really lucky. None of my relatives are in any way asian. asian food is the best!!
                              • peacheslarue
                                peacheslaruealmost 10 years
                                Oh! Im Indian-American!
                                • bibliophile
                                  bibliophilealmost 10 years
                                  I agree... Asian food is soooo delicious... but I mostly eat Korean food(and that type of cuisine is DELICIOUS) out of all the Asian food!!
                                  • nikukyu
                                    nikukyualmost 10 years
                                    I love Korean food 2! Except kimchi. Too hot! There's a lot a Korean people in my neighborhood, and I'm friends with some of them!
                                    • frankiebaby
                                      frankiebabyalmost 10 years
                                      I don't usually have korean food. My favorite is thai food
                                      • turtlenicole
                                        turtlenicolealmost 10 years
                                        I'm also korean!! Kim Yuna is the best! I just can't believe she got ONLY a silver medal in her last competition. Last year, spinnypeeps and I watched in terror how she didn't win:(
                                        • analise
                                          analisealmost 10 years
                                          Me too, it was utterly horrible. Although I thnk the winner was russian????
                          • Sanyaover 10 years
                            wow great job
                            • girl skateover 10 years
                              awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
                              • divaqueen
                                divaqueenover 10 years
                                LOVE SKATING SO MUCH
                                • oliover 10 years
                                  love it and pink
                                • populer girlover 10 years
                                  so pink