Pregnant Athlete

The road keep on passing me as I was running in the early fall morning. My five month belly moving ago with my body. The chill morning air hitting my face as I keep on running, I was in training for the winter games next year, I cannot do the games this year because I am pregnant, but I can be there for support. I do finger skating for the games, and I was teaching some newcomers some moves to use to make the judges on the edge of their seat the hold time they on the ice. My name is Trixie, and I am 28 years old.

I arrive back home to see my husband, Aaron, standing in the doorway, and saying to me, " Had a nice run?"

I took off my jacket, and shoes to say to him, "Yep, and it was a nice morning. I wish you could come with me, I miss me running buddy." I look down at his right leg in a cast, he broken practicing downhill skiing on grass.

"I know, I am worry about you running this early in the morning, but you can take care of yourself. Now breakfast is getting cold," He say to me hopping into the kitchen with me behind him.

After breakfast, I headed to the ice rack to watch over the practice from the player box. I was watching the young teen girls practicing off to the side, seeing one taking a wipe-out and the others laughing at her. She got off the ice, skating to the box with tears coming out of her eyes, and entering the box. "I seen that wipe-out onto the ice, are you okay at lest?" I ask her seeing her stopping in front of me. Her name is Sanna, and she only 16 year old.

"Yeah I am okay, but having the other laughing at me. I am working hard to get into the winter games, but I cannot do anything right. I am sloppy with my moves, and cannot get the right beat to the right moves on the ice," Sanna say to me, sitting down on the blench, and  looking at me to keep on talking. "I bet you never fail at finger skating. You been doing this for along time." She place her head into her hands, and placing her elbow on her legs.

I look at her to say, "I have fail many time on the ice."

She look me with a shock look on her face, and saying to me, "You fail on the ice?"

I nodded my head to her, and keep on talking to her, "Yep, when I first started out in finger skating, I fell many time."

She look at me to say, "Yeah that the first time, but you never fail when you hit the big times."

"I have fail when I hit the big time. My first winter game, I fell onto the ice, and my score was low at that time. I felt like I fail, but you what my coach told me," I say to her looking at her in the face.

"What was that?" she ask me with a raise eye-brow.

I look into her eyes to say, "It does not matter what your score is as long you had fun skating. It does not matter how many time you fell on the ice, you just back on your skate and finish your show, and never let anyone put you down."

"Really, your coach told you that," she ask me in a happy voice.

"Yep, now how about you get back on the ice, and practice your show," I say to her giving a hug.

"Thanks," she say to me getting back on the ice, and practice her show piece. I watch her with a smile my face, thinking back on when I was that age, and starting out skating for the first time.

After the practice was done, the skaters exit the ice, and I left to the lobby area. I heard Sanna voice behind me, "I forgot to ask you, Trixie, why are you not doing anything in the Winter Games?" she ask me wearing her normal clothes, and holding her bag over her right shoulder.

I turn around to say to her, "Because I am five months pregnant with my hubby child. I cannot do anything on the ice, encase I fall and hurt the baby. Beside the games start I will be almost eight along, and I will have a big belly showing. I will be in the box watching everyone piece in the ice, and cheering them on. You will be do great, now your mother is waiting for you."

"Thank Trixie for the talk. See you next time," Sanna say to me, giving me a hug, and running to her mother car.

"Your welcome, and see you next time," I shouted nicely, watching Sanna meeting up with her mother.

For a few months and girls was practicing hard for the games, and I watch from the side line. The next day was the games in our town, and I was getting big to skate anymore. I watch Sanna going over her piece, watching her balancing, and moves. I practice with her off the of the side for the last month, getting ready for the games, and telling her to not give up on her piece. Sanna finish up her practicing over her piece, and skating up to the box to say to me, "What do you think Trixie?"

I look at her to say nicely, "Your are doing great, and I cannot wait to see you do it tomorrow night in front a brunch of people."

Sanna face went from happy to scare in a second, "Trixie, I cannot do now. I am not ready for this now. All those people staring at me the whole time, and what a about the judges? What it they don't like my piece, man what did I get into now." Sanna walk to the change room in a panic.

I look at her to say nicely, "You will do great, just picture yourself on the ice. That what I use all the time, and it works for me."

Sanna look at me after packing her stuff into her bag, "I can try that, thanks Trixie." Sanna left the room, I follow her talking along the way, and giving her a ride home that night.

The next day, the Winter Games started, people all across the country came to watch or to compete in the games. I watch a few friends do their stuff in their games, and Aaron did not have his cast on his leg, but he cheer on his team that whole time. I keep my eight month belly warm under my coat, and heading to see if the girls was ready to show their stuff on the ice. I enter their change room to see them all ready to go, "Don't you lovely ladies look so pretty. Remember to have fun out there and don't forget to smile the whole time." I look over at Sanna sitting on the bench with her head lower, and a sad look on her face. I walk up to her, and sat down beside her to ask, "What wrong?"

Sanna look up at me to say, "I cannot do this. What if I screw up in my piece? What if I fall on the ice? What if my score is low? I cannot go out there to do my piece."

I look at Sanna to say nicely, "You can do this, I have faith in you to do this. I told you what happen to me the first time I did my piece on the ice in front of judges. I never gave up on trying again to keep on doing my show piece. Now it is time to go to dance on the ice, and show what you can do." I gave Sanna a hug, and seeing her leaving the room. I grab from under the bench to grab my finger skating bag, and slipping on my skates. I knew Sanna piece was tow people had to do it, and I knew I was to skate with my eight month belly sticking out a bit. "I hope I can do this?" I say to myself leaving the room with my coat still on.

I watch the other girl dance on the ice, and seeing their scores on the screen. Sanna was next to go, she took a deep breath to clam her nervous down, and enter onto the ice. One Judge came over the speaker, "Miss Sanna, where is partner? You need two people to do this piece."

Sanna stood there scare, she never knew her piece had to have two people doing it. She was going to say something to them, but I skate out onto the ice in my finger skating outfit. A light blue with white shimmer. "I am Sanna partner, I am sorry I was having a bit of hard time getting ready. I am eight months along in my pregnancy and there noting in the rules that a that A pregnant woman can be in the games," I say to the judges.

Sanna look at me to whisper, "Trixie, what are you doing? You can do this with you are eight months pregnant."

I look at Sanna to say, "I will be okay, now let show them the piece I show you. Remember what I say being on the ice alone, but picture me in it." Sanna nodded her head, and we were back to back for the start. The music started up, and we skated on the ice very well, even if Sanna did take a fall on the ice, but she never gave up and keep on going. We keep a smile on own faces, and keeping own minds on the piece.

We dance on the ice until the song stop, we ended up in the middle back to back and arms across in front of our bodies. We breathing a bit heavily from all the moves on the ice, gave own bow, and skated to the box to see the scores being enter. I sat there worry about the whole scoring, and we watch one by one the points was showing up on the screens, and after the last one was enter. We know we took first place over skating. "We did it Trixie," Sanna say to me in a very happy voice.

"No, you did it. I only help you by being your partner," I say to her giving her a hug.

Every finger skater enter the ice to the prizes, and metals. Sanna and I got the gold metal, and smile big time. "Thanks for everything Trixie, and I hope next year I will be on the ice alone to dance, and I hope to see you too," Sanna say to me as we skated around the rack as everyone leaving the ice one by one.

Next year, Sanna and I did skate alone on the ice, and we took first place again in our age group. By the way I had a baby girl, and she loves skating in my  arms around the ice as I held her.