This is a draft of an article that appeared in the hard copy Australian magazine OzSkater
in the April 2009 edition. The final article may have been edited prior to publication.
Kurzawski Makes the Most of Her Opportunities
by J. Barry Mittan
Jessica Kurzawski, an 18-year-old from Liverpool, won a silver medal in senior ladies at Australian Nationals this season after placing sixth in junior ladies last year.
She finished 30th at her first senior ISU international, the 2009 Four Continents Championships, with a personal best score. Jessica's only previous international experience was a 24th place finish at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Belarus in 2008.
“When I first started skating, I looked up and saw the big competitions on television and wished I could be there,” she said. “It's amazing. I've just been taking in the experience and seeing where I am against the great skaters. I'm finding out where I'm going and what I can fix in my programs.”
“I do better with a big audience,” she continued. “When I get out there, I just focus on what I can do and try to get a personal best. I'm probably invisible in such a big field, but I don't want to fall.”
Jessica began skating when she was eight. “I followed my older sister, Simone” she recalled. “She's three years older than I am. It looked like a lot of fun and I enjoyed it a lot.”
She was 17 before she landed a double Axel and a triple loop. She is now practicing triple toe loop, triple loop, triple flip and triple Lutz.
“I'm working to get the triple loop in my long program,” Jessica said. “Now I do double flip-double loop and double Lutz-double toe and all the other double jumps in the long. I'd like to get a three jump combination in it too.”
Jessica included a double Axel, double flip-double loop combination, and triple loop in her short program.
“My spins and my spirals are good,” she said. “I want to get extra pluses in my spins. And I need to get more speed into my skating.”
George Galanis coaches Jessica, who trains in her hometown. “I train in Newcastle,” she said, “but my home rink is Liverpool. I only skate for two hours a day every day but Sunday. I work more off ice than on.”
“I do ballet and I recently passed my ballet exams with commended results,” she continued. “I go for a jog around the national park twice a week, up to 15 kilometers.”
Jessica doesn't use a choreographer. “My dad, my ballet teacher and I put together the ideas for my programs,” she said. “I usually keep a program for two or three years until I can find something better. I like music that you can express and tell a story.”
She used the “Love Theme” from “Romeo and Juliet” for her short program, which was new this season. “It's easy to choreograph dramatic things,” she noted.
For the long program, Jessica skated to “My Heart Will Go On”, “Southampton” and “An Ocean of Memories” from the soundtrack of “Titanic” by James Horner.
“I can also tell a story with it,” she said. “I want to be different and have different music from everyone else. I didn't see anyone else using that music this year.”
Off ice, she listens to modern popular music. She also likes to go snorkeling, hang out with friends and shop.
“I've finished with high school and I'll start university in March,” she said. “I'll be working on a bachelor's in nursing so I'll have to go to university full time for three-six years. I've always wanted to be in the medical field.”
