Sarah Devereaux McCormick Skating Director Harry J McDonald Memorial Center Eagle River, Alaska

EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts Degree, Psychology ISI University-Certified Skating Director THE BEGINNING

At age 5, Sarah began taking ISI Learn- to-Skate lessons at Fire Lake Recreation Center, now called the Harry J McDonald Memorial Center. Her family had just moved to Alaska from Illinois, due to her father’s work as an oil engineer in Prudhoe Bay. At the time, the skating program was under the direction and guidance of Cindy Solberg, ISI’s District 16 representative. Following a competitive skating career in both ISI and U.S. Figure Skating (including 5 U.S. National Championships; 3 U.S. National medals; Gold medal standing in Figures, Freestyle, Ice Dance and Moves in the Field; and ISI Figure 10 and Freestyle 10 designations), completion of her college education and teaching skating, she took over as skating director in 2011.

HOW DO YOU BENEFIT FROM YOUR ISI MEMBERSHIP?

“I am so grateful to ISI for providing me with such a welcoming platform for our sport. As director of our learn-to-skate

program and a coach, I can provide something for skaters of all ages, levels and financial situations. As a choreographer, the ISI program allows me to do what I love most on the ice — to create and to have the freedom to develop new pieces of work for skaters of all different backgrounds. Encouraging programs that focus on the artistic aspect of figure skating is something that ISI truly does best.

ISI “LOVES”

“Tere is a mile-long list of what I love about ISI. I love what it stands for — the vast opportunities for skaters of all levels and disciplines, the program/level structure itself, the incredible ISI staff and the organization’s love of skating … For as long as I can remember, ISI has been an organization that provides skaters with opportunities galore. As a young skater, the ISI events, both local and national, were not only a place to test and demonstrate my skills on the ice but also a place of comfort, support and great fun.

“As a focused U.S. Figure Skating

competitor, there was and is such pressure to advance to the next qualification level each season. Even though I loved this

‘pressure,’ once my season ended, that was IT until the next year. Simply put, I was ‘done’ in a matter of minutes, sometimes

IT un done

with a broken heart and spirit. Regardless of whether each USFS competitive season was a great success or not, I always knew that there was the opportunity to switch focus to ISI and my goals there.”

OTHER FAVORITE ACTIVITIES

Running, listening to music, going to the movies, studying dance and choreography, road trips.

“More than anything, I love spending

time with family. My husband, Ryan, works as a firefighter on the Alyeska pipeline in Valdez, Alaska, for about two weeks each month, so we have limited time together. When not working, I can be found soaking in every moment with our beautiful baby boy, Broderick; Ryan; and our beloved chocolate lab, Turkish.

FAMILY LIFE

“I am fortunate enough to have my incredi- ble parents; both of my sisters, who are my best friends, and their husbands; my five beautiful nieces and nephews; and my wonderful in-laws all living here in Alaska. We are an incredibly close-knit family, and holiday gatherings are loud, crazy, and full of chaos, laughter, ridiculous antics and love.”

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