|
One of the NWS forecasters working with the Weather Support
Group for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games is also joining
his family on the olympic support volunteer team.
Mark Struthwolf and his wife Liz
have been involved in local figure skating clubs for six
years while their daughter, Kristina, has been perfecting
her competitive figure skating skills. Because they spend
hours each week at ice rinks, it was natural for them to
volunteer for this year's Olympic Winter Games. They help
ensure the ice for figure skating practices remains in near
perfect condition. Mark is an ice patcher supervisor, and
Liz is an ice patcher. Mark said their job starts as each
half hour to an hour long practice session concludes.
"Then, as part of a team of six ice patchers, we race out
onto the ice with a bucket filled with a snow and water
solution. This is actually what the Zamboni ice resurfacing
machine scraped off the ice the previous time it was on
the rink."
The Struthwolfs said the ice resurfacer can only fill in
the smallest cuts and divots. "We are responsible for filling
in the larger holes," said Mark. "The larger holes are the
results of figure skaters performing their jumps, mainly
triples and quads, which can make the ice surface look like
it's a mine field. We have approximately one to two minutes
to fill in these major holes before the Zamboni is on our
tails."
Daughter Kristina served as a flower sweeper for earlier
competitions, hoping she could qualify to be on the ice
during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Recently, she earned
a place as one of the Opening Ceremony participants.
"She has spent many hours practicing, juggling her school
work, and her regular ice skating lessons, so she can be
part of this once in a lifetime experience," said Struthwolf.
"Despite this grueling schedule that begins at 4:30 a.m.,
Monday through Friday, we are very proud that she always
has a smile on her face when she wakes up because she knows
she is going to the rink. She has also maintained a straight
4.0 grade point average as an eighth grader."
Kristina has Olympic skating aspirations. She placed first
at the intermediate level in the Central Pacific Region
figure skating competition in Oakland, CA, last October.
This enabled her to return in December 2001 to the U.S.
Junior Figure Skating Championship for a second consecutive
year, in Chicago. Only the top 36 junior skaters are invited
to compete at this elite competition. The majority of current
and former Olympic figure skaters started their careers
through these championships. Although she fell on her opening
double flip jump in Chicago, Kristina remained focused to
finish her program and placed ninth overall in her qualifying
round. She was the youngest skater in her group and she
was a first time intermediate competitor.
The proud parents say if her figure skating track record
is any indication of what her future will be, the 2006 Olympic
Winter Games in Italy loom as a personal possibility for
Kristina and the family. "Even if we don't get to that level
of competition in the Olympics, our family has been privileged
to experience so many facets of these 2002 Games."
The Struthwolf's sons, Michael, 11, and Ryan, 8, will sing
in a school choir when the Olympic Torch passes through
their hometown of Tooele, UT, just prior to the Opening
Ceremonies.
"Just experiencing what is happening in our area is a real
privilege for our family," said Mark.
BACK
TO TOP
|