By Christie Sausa
It’s Saturday afternoon, and four-time adult Eastern Sectional masters junior-senior champion Stephanie Roth is in her living room, streaming an Instagram Live video of off-ice strength and conditioning exercises to figure skaters throughout the country.
Classes have been streamed through the Adult Skating Committee’s Instagram story on two Saturdays, but youth skaters are encouraged to participate, too. A National Academy of Sports Medicine-certified personal trainer and coach, Roth makes the workouts accessible for all levels.
“We all need motivation right now and if I can show up and help, I want to, because it helps me, too,” Roth said.
For those looking to add a little spice to their virtual workouts, adult skater Mikey Tongko-Burry has the answer. Best known as the Virgin America dancing flight attendant, Tongko-Burry teaches a thriving Zumba class almost every day through Zoom.
“With all the gyms shut down due to the pandemic, it became the perfect opportunity to reach out to the airline, figure skating, rhythmic gymnastics and theatre communities to give them a chance to break the daily routine of quarantine life,” Tongko-Burry, a certified Zumba instructor, said.
Those who have taken his classes report high step counts and lots of positive energy, something Tongko-Burry is needing even more during this difficult time; as an essential employee, he continues to commute from New Mexico to work as an Alaska Airlines flight attendant based out of LAX.
Other than Zumba, Tongko-Burry recommends other kinds of off-ice training aids.
“I have off-ice spinners and Pic Skates, so I have been using those to help retain skating muscle memory,” he said.
Someone who has first-hand experience with the Pic Skates, perhaps more than anyone else, is Elaine Jurun of Washington state. After finding a pair online, the adult ISU medalist has been skating in them since mid-March and has been posting instructional videos on social media, specifically the Pic Skate Facebook group.
“I’m 100 percent self-taught; I just put them on and hoped for the best,” she said.
She noted that the skates come with a steep learning curve, although she has become proficient in them.
“I never imagined I would be doing double jumps and flying spins on these,” Jurun said.
All three skaters/instructors state the importance of routine and accountability during these difficult times.
“I try to set a few non-work things in my schedule every day so I stay regimented,” Roth said. “I try to find a workout I’m excited about, plan a video chat, pick a certain movie, make sure I stand up for a little bit every hour and get away outside in fresh air as much as I can.”
For Tongko-Burry, accountability is an important part of his life since he’s always on the go.
“During offseason, and even on layovers because I’m constantly in the skies, I always try to keep myself accountable,” he said. “I do end up doing Zumba in my hotel room and extra Pilates or resistance-band workouts as well.
Jurun also competes as a World Natural Bodybuilding Federation Bikini Pro, which requires even more intense training.
“I’m trying to keep my exercising and diet the same year-round so my body doesn’t get sore when I start training harder again,” Jurun said.
“There’s no time like the present,” Roth said.
